



Class_^ 

Book._ 

Copyright N°_ 

COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 










EFFICIENCY IN THE 
SPIRITUAL LIFE 


“Did you not know , that I must he about my Father's 
business ? ” 


St. Luke, 2:49 















































































































^Efficiency 

in tijj 

spiritual ttife 


BY 

SISTER MARY CECILIA 

A RELIGIOUS OF THE URSULINE CONVENT OF 
OUR LADY OF LOURDES, PAOLA, KANSAS 


jfreDericft pustet Co* (3fnc) 

jlJeto gorft anti Cincinnati 

1921 











f&tfctl SDbgtat: 


liX'W 0 

,iA5 


ARTHUR J. SCANLAN, S. T. D., 

Censor Librorum 


Imprimatur: 


* PATRICK J. HAYES, D. D., 

Archbishop of New York 


New York, October 28, 1920. 


; 


V 


v 


Copyright, 1921 


BY FREDERICK PUSTET CO. (Inc.) 
in United States and Great Britain 


PRINTED IN V. S. A. 

§)CI.A608766 


MAR 22 1921 


.V\ C J 



THE BLESSED MEMORY 
OF MY 


REVERED FATHER AND MOTHER 



PREFACE 



T seems to me a daring task to presume 
to treat on such sublime subjects as are 
contained in this book, but should only 
one soul find in these lines a little light 


or derive the same benefit I feel it has been to me 
to write it, I will be highly recompensed for the 
slight labor expended in its accomplishment. 

Since all who read the first manuscript pronounced 
the work unique, I presume it will be of interest to 
the reader to learn where the ideas originated. 

There came into my hands a course in efficiency 
by Harrington Emerson of New York. As I fol¬ 
lowed the different steps in the lessons, I was struck 
by the seriousness and ingenuity with which the 
students are instructed to pursue the desirable things 
of life. What pains they take! And our Blessed 
Lord has said, “The children of this world are wiser 
in their generation than the children of light.” 

Following the different principles I saw at once 
the similitude between them and the spiritual life. 
The ideas are not new, but they appeared to me 
under a new aspect. After noting them down, I 


Vll 



PREFACE 


viii 


gave no further thought to the matter until our an¬ 
nual retreat of 1917 when the Reverend Director re¬ 
marked how St. Ignatius seemed to use a principle 
of modern efficiency in his meditation on “The 
Three Degrees of Humility.” This set me to work 
and the first seven chapters were completed within 
the next few months. 

Mother Superior approved the work and referred 
me to Rev. Eugene Magevney, S. J., of blessed mem¬ 
ory, who, in May, 1918, conducted the annual re¬ 
treat for the girls of our Academy. It was through 
the encouraging words of this kind Father that the 
work was brought to a final issue. He promised to 
review it for me, should God spare him, but he was 
called Home before that came to pass. 

The work is really a concrete example of the ap¬ 
plication of the seventh principle of efficiency herein 
treated, i. e., Written Standard-Practice Instructions, 
because the knowledge contained was secured 
through notes taken from retreats, sermons, con¬ 
ferences, and readings since my novitiate days. 
These have been developed and applied, and since 
they are the embodiment of the standards and ideals 
of one who hopes by God’s grace to obtain the effi¬ 
ciency reward, the work is for the writer as well as 
for the reader, a constant incentive and guide. 

As the subject suggests, the book is religious and 





PREFACE 


IX 


will only appeal to persons who are serious and 
earnest in their efforts to attain the perfection of 
their state in life. Though intended chiefly for re¬ 
ligious, it may also be found interesting and profit¬ 
able to members of the Third Orders, and to sincere 
Christians striving to lead a holy life in the midst 
of the world. 

Many examples from the business world are taken 
from the lessons of Mr. Emerson to whom I am 
very grateful for the inspiration his ideas gave me. 

The Author 




















































































O God, the Father, mighty King, 

In awe profound, to Thee I bring 
These pages. Bless them, that to Thee 
Eternal honor, glory be. 

O God, the Son, sweet Spouse of mine, 
Incarnate Word, my school divine, 

I bring them, that You may impart 
The wisdom of Your Sacred Heart. 

O, Holy Spirit, God of love, % 
Vouchsafe Thy guidance, gentle Dove, 
That to the souls of those who read, 
Come light and love or other need. 

O Triune One, my God, my All, 

Show forth Thy mercy, lest I fall, 

Or lose the light, Thou gavest me, 

And fail to reach my Home in Thee. 

Amen 

















































































. 














































































































































CONTENTS 

PART I 

CHAPTER I 


PAGE 

Our Standard. I9 

CHAPTER II 

Records . 29 

CHAPTER III 

Planning. 39 

CHAPTER IV 

Schedules. 47 

CHAPTER V 

Despatching . 57 

CHAPTER VI 

Standardized Conditions. 67 

CHAPTER VII 

Standardized Operations. 83 

CHAPTER VIII 

Written Standard-Practice Instructions. 97 

xiii 










XIV 


CONTENTS 


PART II 
CHAPTER I 

Ideals. hi 

CHAPTER II 

Common Sense. 121 

CHAPTER III 

Competent Counsel. 133 

CHAPTER IV 

Discipline . 151 

CHAPTER V 

The Fair Deal. 165 

CHAPTER VI 

Efficiency Reward. 187 

Suggestions. 197 











PART I 


PRACTICAL PRINCIPLES OF 
EFFICIENCY 



I 


OUR STANDARD 










efficiency tn tl )t spiritual Safe 



Chapter I 
OUR STANDARD 

]HE world today is a busy world. Never 
since the creation has it been busier. No 
matter where we go, we see men of all 
classes struggling, laboring, scheming, 
wearing themselves out in this turmoil of business. 
Scarcely anywhere can we find an individual who 
is not reaching for some higher condition. The cry 
of the human heart is “More” — more honor, more 
money, more pleasure. People seem to be almost 
crazed in this ambitious search for precedence. In 
fact, all men seem to realize that we have fallen from 
a height which every fibre of our being aspires to 
regain. All have longings, desires, aspirations, ex¬ 
pectations, hopes and ambitions. But for what? 
Is the meat worthy of the labor? Some seek honor. 
Oh! how well we know “The paths of glory lead 


J 9 
















20 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


but to the grave.” Well, then, — riches. “Thou 
fool, this night, I will demand thy soul of thee.” 
Pleasure? Only to exchange a temporal happiness 
for an eternity of misery. Well, what then? 

Strange power of inversion possessed by the poor 
fallen child of Adam! Left to himself, apart from 
the grace of the Almighty, one such individual may 
realize his true condition, may have the full sense 
of his degradation thrust upon him, and yet, in his 
pursuit of uplift, the very means he uses have a 
contrary effect, and what he hopes will restore hap¬ 
piness and satisfy his craving for its possession only 
serves to cast him farther and farther from his prim¬ 
itive height. His hopes and longings remain those 
of a fallen creature, robbed of its pristine nobility, 
and those very hopes and longings lead him down¬ 
ward instead of upward. Even should he attain 
the highest honors, increase his wealth to billions, 
gratify every sally of nature, the brilliant bubble 
of success breaks against the inevitable barrier — 
death. 

Did you ever watch such a one in his search and 
take note of his plan of procedure? Once he has 
set his mind and heart on his so-called good, every 
act, mental or physical, is so ordered as to make 
that one thing possible. 

Now recall the words of our Divine Teacher: 




OUR STANDARD 


2 I 


“The children of this world are wiser in their gen¬ 
eration than the children of light.” A child of the 
world is wiser. Very well, let us follow him, study 
his plan of action, and see what can be done by 
using his means of success. Since he is wiser, he 
can teach us and we should be wise enough to learn. 

We are children of light, yes, Christians. We 
make religion our profession. Well, you may say, 
I am a Christian, I am a religious, but I am no busi¬ 
ness man, what is all this to me? You are a follower 
of Christ and for that very reason, are engaged in 
the most vital kind of business, that of the Glory 
of God through the sanctification of your own soul 
and the souls of others, thus spreading the kingdom 
of Christ. We, like the divine Child Jesus, must be 
about our Father’s business. 

Now, look at matters as they are. Our life is 
short, our powers are extremely limited, even God’s 
grace, to a certain extent, is limited in us; yet this 
gigantic work is before us. What do the worldly 
wise do when confronted with such a problem? 
Here is one filled, as we are, with desires. He wants 
many things. He sees his time, abilities, and means 
limited. What does he do? The first thing is to 
look for the shortest possible way to attain his 
desires. He knows that railroad bridges are shorter 
than winding curves; that elevators are quicker, 




22 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


easier, and better than long flights of stairs; that 
a typewriter and adding machine save hours of 
labor; and that if he uses his time and brains, mil¬ 
lions of short cuts can be found. Therefore, he ac¬ 
cumulates the knowledge and experiments of others, 
concentrates them in a few vital principles and by 
the application of these, accomplishes wonders. This, 
we call efficiency, and efficiency is the watchword 
in the business world of today. 

Now, for our problem. We would be saints. 
And we, too, must find a short cut. In the account 
the “Little Flower” gives of herself, we read, “I 
want to get to heaven by a short cut; by a new way. 
We no longer trouble to walk upstairs; rich people 
use lifts. And I, too, would like to find a lift to go 
up to Jesus, for the stairs of perfection are too steep 
for me.” 

A short cut includes three essentials: first, it is 
the best way; second, it is the easiest way — this 
may sound strange; but we shall see its truth and 
usefulness later on; third, it is the quickest way. 

That way is best, which brings best results. By 
the easiest way is not meant the laziest way, but 
the way which uses talent, energy, or other forces 
so well directed and economically expended as to 
prevent waste. We see that our powers are limited 
and we cannot afford to use all our means on a few 




OUR STANDARD 


23 


trivial occasions. Our powers are to be so con¬ 
served, directed, and applied as to bring about the 
greatest possible result with the least expenditure 
of means. Now, you understand what is meant by 
the easiest way. We readily see how the short cut 
is the quickest way. If I want to cross the street, 
I certainly will not go around the entire block first. 
What we want is not so much the best, quickest, 
and easiest way, as the best, quickest, and easiest 
way to get the desired end. So, then, all this really 
spells efficiency, and for us efficiency in the spirit¬ 
ual life, — the best, quickest, and easiest way of 
fulfilling the end of our creation and profession, 
viz.: the Glory of God. 

St. Ignatius uses this efficiency in his “Spiritual 
Exercises,” when he treats of the use and abuse of 
creatures; using or abstaining from the use of crea¬ 
tures only in so far as they help or hinder the at¬ 
tainment of our last end. Then, again, in “The Third 
Degree of Humility,” he tells us to choose the glory 
of God or the imitation of Christ, when there is 
question of things indifferent in themselves. Is not 
this the best, easiest, and quickest way? But there 
is only one best, easiest, and quickest way in which 
these elements can be combined so as to secure the 
most desirable results. To know and follow this, we 
must have one certain and fixed standard and some 




24 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


constantly changing standards. Progress in efficiency 
is impossible without them. And remember, there 
is a difference in standards. What tomorrow’s stand¬ 
ard will be no one knows; but that which is estab¬ 
lished by experience or authority as an attainable 
maximum according to present knowledge and abil¬ 
ity, is the standard. For instance, a century ago 
ten miles an hour was the standard speed for ten 
miles of quiet travel when it was done on horseback. 
Now, varying according to conditions, by bicycle, 
automobile, motor boat, or aeroplane, this speed has 
been increased to from twenty to one hundred miles 
an hour. A person in the beginning of his spiritual 
life may find it difficult to say one Pater and Ave 
attentively, but later he can pass hours in medita¬ 
tion most recollectedly. The standard has been 
changed several times in the course of those years 
of trial. Have we, Christians, religious, a fixed stand¬ 
ard? The standard of the man-God, eternally fixed, 
the unchangeable and unalterable will of His Father, 
should be our standard. “My meat is to do the 
will of Him, that sent Me.” (St. John 4:34.) This 
will, then, is the Divine Sun around which all else 
revolves; the apex, towards which all must tend; 
the sublime and only object of our life and all its 
works, — God’s holy will. Can you imagine a 
grander standard than this? All creation is but the 




OUR STANDARD 


25 


expression of this will. We were created free, in¬ 
telligent beings that we might give rational service, 
by a free act, to this divine will. Next to God Him¬ 
self there is nothing so excellent in heaven or on 
earth as the perfect fulfillment of the will of God. 

Let us look into ourselves and see what has been 
our standard thus far. Is not selfishness my 
strongest motive? Do I think more of the happi¬ 
ness of heaven or the pains of hell (motives good, 
but we want the best) than of the glory of God and 
the accomplishment of the divine will? Do I hate 
sin because it opposes the will of God or simply be¬ 
cause it tarnishes my soul and makes me liable to 
punishment? Do I study and improve myself that 
I may further the interests of Jesus and bring souls 
to His blessed feet or simply through love for study 
or to appear brilliant and accomplished? 

Let us be honest with ourselves and resolve to 
accept the standard of Jesus with a pure mind and 
loving heart. This much determined, imagine to 
yourself the following picture and draw it clearly 
before your mind’s eye. Imagine yourself, — now 
mind, your own soul and body that now lives, 
struggles, and at times, suffers, — imagine yourself, 
I say, in heavenly glory, endowed with your perfec¬ 
tion, lost in God, as it were, having fulfilled the ideal 
the Divine Mind had in creating your soul. You 




26 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


have come up to your standard, you have reached 
your goal. You are to spend eternity lost in God, 
in the Holy of Holies of that Divine Heart, which 
no one but you may occupy, absorbed by the Di¬ 
vinity, in bliss ineffable. And all this for all eternity. 
Now, this picture will be a reality for you, if you 
so will it. “Would you be a saint? Will it,” says 
St. Thomas. This is yours if you use your time, 
your talent, and your graces — all the means placed 
at your disposal in the best way, that is according 
to your standard. 




II 

RECORDS 


































































. 



















































Chapter II 
RECORDS 

E have seen the wisdom of the chil¬ 
dren of the world. We have seen that 
they make short cuts, that they make 
use of standards, and that they base 
their scientific efficiency on principles. Now, when 
principles are well grounded they can be applied to 
general and particular cases. 

The business world of today lays down thirteen 
fundamental principles. Let us look at these and 
apply them to our case, that is to religious efficiency, 
because they will teach us how to reach our one great 
aim in the best, easiest, and quickest way and how 
to use our talents and graces to the very best ad¬ 
vantage, not only what seems to us best, but what 
comes up to our standard in order that the angel of 
death may find us prepared at any time. We well 
know that many people excuse their mistakes and 
faults by saying, “Well, I did my best.” Some¬ 
times we think we have done our best, but if we 
take time to think, to standardize our time and 



29 




30 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


methods, we find our best was of a very low grade 
and can be greatly improved. 

The first principle of efficiency is keeping records. 
Any individual taking up the study of personal effi¬ 
ciency begins by keeping immediate, reliable, and 
permanent records of his employment of time, be¬ 
cause he calculates that waste of time is the one 
irrevocable waste. Other things may be replaced, 
but time wasted is gone forever. To the business 
man, time means money, so he begins his personal 
efficiency, by accounting to himself for every mo¬ 
ment of the day. See what these records do for him. 
Written and kept, they give information; they meas¬ 
ure progress and show its direction; they warn 
of wrong methods, unwise procedure, and inefficient 
operations; they check against extremes; they show 
the way to short cuts; they locate wastes; they fur¬ 
nish a basis for all future work. So then we have 
a principle that to become efficient, or to find the 
best, easiest, and quickest way to reach a desired 
end, we must keep immediate, reliable, and perma¬ 
nent records. We are surrounded by records, and 
you have noticed, perhaps, that any progress you 
ever made was due to the fact that your mind re¬ 
corded some event that led to a higher step. 

The first practical step for me, then, in acquiring 
religious efficiency is to make an account of myself, 




RECORDS 


31 


of my supply of time and my manner of using it. 
Remember, time is really the most wonderful of 
God’s gifts, for when it ceases for us, all else ceases 
with it, that is in the sense of meriting or gaining 
anything for heaven. In this all men are equal: no 
one has more than twenty-four hours a day. Time 
flows on in a constant stream and cannot be halted 
in its course. Our day is, in a way, laid out for us by 
obedience and our very manner of life suggests a 
certain routine, but we must go farther and find out 
if there are not some little “inbetweenities,” as some 
one has aptly styled these spare moments, and we 
will be surprised and astonished at the number 
wasted, due either to mismanagement or sheer care¬ 
lessness. 

But records do more than this. “Know thyself.” 
Self-knowledge is the information they give. Our 
standard is the fulfillment of God’s will, and, our 
records should inform us of all that is keeping us 
from this end. Daily we must account to ourselves 
for every thought, word or act contrary to this di¬ 
vine will. By comparing these records from day 
to day they will note our progress and show its 
direction. They will warn us of wrong methods, un¬ 
wise procedure, and inefficient operations; in other 
words they will warn us against our passions, the 
temptations of the devil and our own distorted views. 




32 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


They will check against extremes, for even virtue 
must be guarded by prudence. They will show the 
way to short cuts, by directing our intentions to 
pure and lofty ends, for surely to try to reach God 
through self is not using a short cut. Selfishness is 
the longest way to heaven. We can reach it through 
a long and severe Purgatory, with selfishness still 
a part of our motives; but to reach our final destiny 
by the shortest way, we must be divested of self. 

These examens also locate waste; show us oppor¬ 
tunities of practicing virtue, idly passed over; in¬ 
spirations of grace neglected. They indicate to us, 
not only positively wrong acts, but good ones tainted 
by vanity, self-interest, or some other inferior mo¬ 
tive. Are not all these waste — waste of divine 
grace, waste of the blood of Jesus and His merits, 
our one and only means of salvation? “Fear Jesus 
passing by,” says St. Bernard. We see from this 
the value of records or, in familiar language, the 
value of the daily examen, and that made according 
to method, keeping a strict account of our interior 
so that this knowledge will furnish a foundation for 
all future work. Assuredly, it is a fact, that few 
persons really know their predominant passion. Per¬ 
haps they are afraid of the revelation, but if we are 
really in earnest and make our perfection a business 
matter, self-knowledge is the first thing that will in- 




RECORDS 


33 


terest us and will become the key-note of all future 
progress. How can I avoid enemies of whose exist¬ 
ence I am ignorant, or locate my utter waste of 
divine grace if I do not keep a strict watch and close 
account of my interior and exterior operations? A 
few months of conscientious keeping of records will 
be a great revelation to us. We should have 
our day so well regulated that at night we can 
give a perfect account of each moment spent; know 
which actions were good, less good or positively 
bad. 

Now, as to our words. Oh, what a task! But if 
we are diligent in keeping our records, our words 
will become fewer and more carefully spoken, dic¬ 
tated by a more prudent mind and regulated by a 
loving heart. We can finally become masters of our 
thoughts. Having located waste in the matter of 
thought, we can subject even these wild, winged 
things to the master-will. 

Our records at first must be very general, begin¬ 
ning with the first act, promptitude in rising, recol¬ 
lection, and modesty while dressing, attendance at 
Holy Mass, Holy Communion, meditation, divine 
office and other vocal prayers, attention to spiritual 
reading, our daily charge and manner of conducting 
ourselves, self-control and religious dignity. Then, 
also, we should record the manner of taking our rec- 




34 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


reation, our meals, and our observance of the dis¬ 
cipline and customs of the house. 

This looks like an immense task, but only during 
the first month shall we find it difficult. The 
record must be kept systematically, and a good way 
for a general examen is to use for Heading the three 
points: duties to God, our neighbor and ourselves; 
and, then, after a short experience we will be enabled 
to see the entire day under these three heads. At 
first, we note more serious faults until these are di¬ 
minished; then noting lesser ones, until, finally, we 
make our work positive and record good done to be 
increased daily. 

When, by the use of these general records, we 
have begun to know ourselves, we should at once go 
to particulars. Take that one main fault, as St. 
Ignatius teaches us, and treat it in a particular 
examen. Keep these records most conscientiously 
and very definitely marking the results in our examen 
book twice daily. It is well to divide a fault or vir¬ 
tue into three parts and avoid or acquire it by de¬ 
grees. Say we are working to acquire fraternal 
charity. Spiritual writers say we must avoid ex¬ 
ternal faults first, on account of the scandal they 
give. Very well, begin by keeping a strict record 
of every act contrary to charity. When you have 
succeeded in this, begin with words, avoiding speak- 




RECORDS 


35 


ing against another, relating or rehearsing his faults, 
criticising, blaming or saying anything that would 
in the least injure his character or reputation. When 
you see that you are getting ahead in this, watch 
your thoughts and opinions. Finally, guard your 
innermost feeling, so that all may be controlled and 
governed by charity. Go even further until you 
acquire an actual esteem for your fellow beings, 
seeing the image of God in them, hating their faults 
but loving their souls. Remember that no matter 
how repulsive their faults may appear, true charity 
loves the unlovable. So study their good qualities 
and see how, in very many respects, they are really 
better than you are yourself. This will give a real 
ground for charity because the foundation is hu¬ 
mility, which will lead directly into positive acts of 
charity, and blossom into the virtues of meekness, 
amiability, forbearance, affability, and kindness. 
Other writers tell us to begin from within, and in the 
practice of charity, for instance, to take for the sub¬ 
ject of our examen, charity in thought. Working in 
this way to eliminate every thought contrary to 
charity, will preserve us from uncharitable words or 
actions. However, we should follow the method that 
is best for each of us and which, through a little 
experience, we find is most profitable. A good prac¬ 
tice in temptations against charity is to say: “Dear 




36 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


Lord, bless N. N. and have mercy on poor me, 
precious little fool that I am,” or say the “Hail 
Mary” for him. 

But what we must always keep uppermost in our 
minds is that our sanctification is a real business 
matter and must be worked out. Virtue necessitates 
struggle and labor and our records are an encourage¬ 
ment to keep to our task until we come to some kind 
of improvement. 

We must try this practice before we fully realize 
its utility. Most of us are fair in our fidelity to our 
daily examen, but a little more seriousness and 
earnestness will reveal a vast field, waiting for us 
to open an entrance where much remains to be 
weeded out or planted and cultivated. We learn to 
do by doing, in this as in everything else, and our 
efficiency must be part of our way of doing every¬ 
thing, now that we are in earnest about its acqui¬ 
sition. 

So keeping records, examination of conscience to 
acquire self-knowledge, is the first step toward find¬ 
ing the best, easiest, and quickest way to our last 
end, namely, perfect fulfillment of God’s will,— 
perfection. 




t 


III 


PLANNING 






























































































































Chapter III 


PLANNING 



| HE second principle of efficiency and one 
of the most important principles of suc¬ 
cess in any line of business is that of 
planning. Why are railroads a success? 
Through efficiency in planning. Look at any well 
conducted farm and why is it profitable? Its owner 
planned. Which generals have been successful in 
battle? Those who efficiently planned their cam¬ 
paigns. What would a builder do without a plan? 
But in order to have our planning successful, stand¬ 
ards must be adopted. These, however, need not 
be fixed; they may differ according to time and cir¬ 
cumstances. Since our records have given us knowl¬ 
edge of our weak and strong points, located waste, 
enlightened us as to inefficient methods, etc., thereby 
serving as a guide, we also use them in making plans. 
The next step, then, in our advancement is to plan 
for it. 

The knowledge of ourselves and of our use of 
time, acquired by the careful keeping of records, 


39 



40 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


will avail us nothing if from it we do not proceed 
and plan to avoid all wastes. We must plan our 
entire day in all its details and attending circum¬ 
stances. Some people never see an inch ahead of 
them, as the saying is, and for this reason all their 
activities are retarded, like the man who came to 
paint the house and had to return to the workshop 
to get his brush. You see the forethought was miss¬ 
ing. Again, “Forewarned is forearmed,” as the old 
proverb has it. Now for all this, thought — deep 
thought and meditation are necessary. 

Have we always considered our meditation as the 
great planning time? Oh! blessed hour, when, in 
the light of God’s presence, we may behold ourselves 
as we really are and, comparing ourselves with our 
standard, see what we must do or omit to work out 
a more perfect resemblance to our model. Yes, 
meditation is the time to place our standards before 
our mind’s eye; standards of virtue as shown in the 
life of Christ and His saints; standards which con¬ 
vey a knowledge of our own personal needs and 
desires; and referring as they do to our records as 
a guide, awaken in us firm resolutions that our every 
plan will be laid so as to further our one important 
design, namely, perfection as God wills it. 

In drawing up our plans, we must foresee the 
means of carrying them out. From our past experi- 





PLANNING 


41 


ence and from our records we see that by avoiding 
such or such actions, such a person or place, or by 
attending strictly to our duty we can avoid a fall, 
or practice an eminent virtue, or please God by an 
act of self-denial. We can see from yesterday’s 
records that if we had spent our recreation more 
cheerfully, we would have found ourselves more re¬ 
freshed for the afternoon’s work, thus, perhaps, 
avoiding that burst of nervous impatience or irrita¬ 
bility, causing harm to both body and soul. Or 
again, by using more discretion at our meals, our 
good digestion would have aided our self-control. 
Many of our faults and mistakes have physical 
causes and though these may not be classed as sins, 
yet they retard our progress and often give bad ex¬ 
ample. Assuredly, such imperfections cannot 
further the interests of Jesus, our Model and Leader. 

But above all, our plan should center about the 
subject of our particular examen. This is the 
enemy I must slay, so I aim all my forces at it and 
during the blessed time of peace, when I have 
special light given me, I try to foresee the circum¬ 
stances that may call for battle. I picture to my¬ 
self how I should act when the temptation comes; 
how I must act if I would reach my standard. I 
make a firm resolution and ask additional grace. 
Here is where we have the great advantage over the 




42 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


worlding. He may plan, but his only resource is his 
material equipment. We have God’s all powerful 
grace ever ready to sustain us. Can you imagine a 
business man refusing the assistance of materials 
offered which guarantee success? We would say 
such a one must be demented. What can we say 
of ourselves when we neglect to ask for or refuse to 
take the divine grace offered and often showered 
upon us in prayer? Our success is guaranteed if we 
but trust in its power and join with it our poor but 
best efforts. The thing is to get our will to work in 
the right direction and to center our forces with a 
purpose. We know that many valuable letters are 
lost for want of a proper address; so many of our 
actions fail in their results for want of a pure in¬ 
tention. By this efficient planning our day will be¬ 
come more and more spiritual. And is this not what 
we want? We have to live our lives here and now. 
This very day must be a part of our future glory. 
We are making heaven now. All our material ac¬ 
tions must be planned to serve a spiritual end and 
this can be done only by using the means at our 
disposal in the way God wills. 

Make good use of your hour of meditation. Study 
the standard before you in the points, and plan how 
these can be made part of your daily life. Often 
take your crucifix and spend the entire time with 




PLANNING 


43 


your eyes fixed upon it. Where will you find a more 
perfect “Fiat” than here? Make for yourself a 
moving picture by permitting the events of the com¬ 
ing day to pass in imagination before you. Then 
dip each thought, word, and action into the Precious 
Blood of Jesus. Beg Him to stamp His image on 
each, and never will you spend a more fruitful day 
— fruitful for heaven. You may suffer, your wishes 
may be contradicted, and from external appearance 
every thing be a failure; but in the eyes of God all 
will have the stamp of supernatural merit, — the 
stamp of the Blood of Jesus. And why? Because 
you planned it — and Jesus planned it with you. 

















* 



































































































































IV 


SCHEDULES 



























. 




























































Chapter IV 
SCHEDULES 



JHE man in business not only plans for 
success but also schedules his supply of 
time, material, and equipment. We 
know that a plan is a general statement, 
and we have seen the necessity of its use. A sched¬ 
ule must be a definite, itemized statement. A music 
teacher’s plan may be to give twelve or fifteen les¬ 
sons in a day; her schedule will show at what hour 
each of the pupils will receive the lesson. 

It is more necessary in making schedules than in 
making plans to have recourse to standards. In 
order to establish standards, time and motion 
studies have to be made. For example: a girl in 
a publishing house was employed to fold leaflets, 
one fold to a four-page leaflet. At first she folded 
one leaflet at a time at the rate of only one hundred 
an hour. This seemed very slow to her, so she be¬ 
gan to study her motions. Little by little, she elim¬ 
inated waste motion and increased her speed until 
she was folding two hundred an hour. This seemed 


47 



48 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


to be a maximum, and would have been her standard 
for fixing her schedule. About this time, however, 
she was instructed how to fold thirty at a time, 
separating them later. By the use of this new 
method, she was soon able to fold five hundred an 
hour. The girl had a similar experience in counting 
cards. At first she counted one card at a time, and 
by careful study of the operation and speeding up 
as much as possible, she was able to count only six 
hundred an hour. Then she was taught to count 
by sliding her thumb over the corners of the cards, 
and was soon counting five thousand an hour. You 
see by this that one can reduce the number of mo¬ 
tions, or increase the speed of the motion or dis¬ 
cover an entirely new and different method which 
will give far better results with equal or less effort. 
All these plans, these time and motion studies, and 
schedules enable one to take many short cuts, to 
accomplish more in less time and with less effort, 
thus conserving energy for future use. 

If we had to make similar studies for our spirit¬ 
ual efficiency, few of us would accomplish much, 
but the Holy Spirit has taken our weakness into 
account and raised in the Church men and women, 
founders of religious orders, who have handed down 
to us a rule of life, — a schedule with standards 
fixed, standards for the observance of our vows, for 




SCHEDULES 


49 


the regulation of our employment, for the mainte¬ 
nance of discipline, the practice of virtue, penance, 
and mortification, following which, we are sure, each 
moment of the day, of doing the holy will of God. 
Even if we do not belong to an Order nor live ac¬ 
cording to rules and constitutions, yet every good 
Christian makes for himself a rule of life, which 
becomes for him a fixed schedule, based on the Com¬ 
mandments of God, the Precepts of the Church, the 
directions and admonitions of his Confessor, — all 
being to him, the manifestation of the will of God 
in his regard. 

This schedule is necessary, just as necessary as 
it is for a railroad system. Did you ever try to 
imagine a limited train running without a schedule? 
Grant that it might be able to get through without 
a collision or derailment, one train crew might run 
it at a speed that would send the locomotive and 
cars to the repair shop; another run so slowly as 
to cause great waste of fuel; and still another run 
without stopping. Stations would be passed at eight 
in the morning today and eight at night tomorrow. 
Not knowing when the train might appear, those 
who maintained and repaired tracks would be 
greatly handicapped if not entirely stopped. Close 
connections at junctions and terminals would be im¬ 
possible, causing waste of time both for the un- 




50 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


scheduled train itself and for hundreds of other 
trains until the entire railroad system of half a con¬ 
tinent might be upset and disorganized by this one 
train’s vagaries. The person who works without a 
schedule is no better than the train without one. 
The only difference is that we are accustomed to 
train schedules and the contrary is more apparent, 
but persons are not accustomed to working on 
schedules. They do not, therefore, record the waste 
and are not conscious of it, nevertheless, the waste 
is there. One Christian or one religious who does 
not observe his rule can cause just as much havoc 
in a community, though maybe not so obviously, 
as the unscheduled train would to all the other sys¬ 
tems in the country. The amazing accomplishments 
of some of our fellow men are not due so much to 
extraordinary genius in mental capacity as to the 
fact that they plan and schedule their supply and 
use of time. 

We said Christ is our Model. His standard is 
our standard. We have enlisted under His banner 
and are drafted to fight in the war with the world, 
the flesh, and the devil. He has placed the weapons 
in our hands; poverty, to undermine avarice; chas¬ 
tity, to slay the rebellious flesh; obedience, to con¬ 
quer the pride of life. The only way to learn to use 
this equipment efficiently is to keep to our schedule, 




SCHEDULES 


51 

our holy rule, and follow it to the letter and in its 
real spirit. 

It is far easier to employ every moment of time 
as planned, by beginning and finishing each task at 
a special time, than by merely planning to spend a 
certain number of hours at each during the week. 
Similarly, when we have applied schedules to our 
supply and use of materials, we will find it far 
easier to employ each according to standards than 
when we have merely planned for each employment 
without definite schedule. For instance: a pious 
soul may wish to practice the virtue of silence and 
interior recollection. It is certainly far easier to 
follow the rule and observe the silence at a pre¬ 
scribed time and place than if each religious 
planned to spend so many hours every week in si¬ 
lence. Some would be ready for recreation when 
the retreatments would prefer solitude and many 
might be compelled to spend their recreations so¬ 
liloquizing. Again, having a definite schedule, gives 
a constant incentive and an immediate, accurate 
method of determining whether or not we are at¬ 
taining efficiency. Our lives will be considered a 
success in the eyes of God only in so far as they con¬ 
form to our schedule, for by this we will be judged. 
The great danger is that even religious will be in¬ 
fluenced by the American spirit of “hustling.” We 




52 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


live at too fast a pace and many forget the calm 
dignity of the rule observance, and the hurry and 
bustle of life leaves the interior in confusion. 

When a distinguished business man was asked 
to explain how he had been able to accomplish so 
much without hustling, he replied, “By organizing 
myself as well as my business to run smoothly; by 
schooling myself to keep cool and to do what I have 
to do without expending more nervous energy on 
the task than is necessary; by avoiding all nervous 
friction. In consequence, when I finish my day’s 
work, I feel nearly as fresh as when I started.” 

Our rule provides a sufficient time for everything: 
prayer, labor, recreation, and rest, so that if we fol¬ 
low it properly we will be able to concentrate our 
efforts upon each duty as it comes up, to the ex¬ 
clusion of other matters. How many scruples of 
conscience would be avoided if we all lived in this 
manner. Our soul as well as our mind would be in 
a constant state of peace. We put forth our best 
efforts when we are untrammeled by worry over the 
past or solicitude for the future. This total depen¬ 
dence on the rule to the exclusion of all anxiety leads 
us to that child-like confidence and abandonment to 
divine Providence which so pleases the heart of God 
and draws down on us the precious fruits of the 
Holy Spirit, especially, charity, joy and peace. 




SCHEDULES 


53 


We have undoubtedly observed by this time that 
if we are faithful in keeping our records, diligent 
in planning, and zealous in living the life of the rule, 
we save considerable time and energy. Now, we 
must so schedule this saved time and energy as to 
give them the greatest value. Hours saved by the 
business man and used efficiently means fitting him¬ 
self for higher positions, or raising his salary, so 
that, in the course of a few years, he can regard his 
saved time at a great value. We, too, can so use 
our spare time as to make it, not only of material 
value to ourselves and to our community, but also 
a great banking scheme for ourselves and others: 
minting money for our own eternity as well as bene¬ 
fiting suffering souls in purgatory. I can spend this 
time in improving my mind so as to fit myself better 
for my charge, or I can help some fellow religious 
who is overburdened with work adding super¬ 
natural merit of charity to my material assistance. 
I can spend this time in silent communion with my 
Beloved in the Tabernacle, talking over my plans 
with Him, obtaining strength and renewed courage 
in the pursuit of virtue; or I can pray for others, 
especially for the poor souls, using the best, easiest, 
and quickest means of aiding them by saying prayers 
most highly indulgenced. We know, for instance, 
that every time we say a “Hail Mary” on the beads 




54 efficiency in the spiritual life 


with the Crosier Indulgence attached, we gain an 
indulgence of five hundred days. Why not take ad¬ 
vantage of this, and every time we say an Ave use 
our beads, thus increasing our efficiency by giving 
untold relief to the suffering souls. 

These are points of spiritual efficiency, the use of 
plans and schedules that go on increasing and im¬ 
proving all during a lifetime; points in spirit with 
the rule, not expressed in it but for us to discover 
and practice from day to day, ever growing and in¬ 
creasing in perfection. 




V 

DESPATCHING 




















































































Chapter V 


DESPATCHING 

rtjgSigjf N our last chapter, we noticed the neces- 

fellKA Sity ° f a schedule for the succ ess of a 

railroad system. Before schedules were 

made, plans and standards were set up. 
Now let us consider the next principle of efficiency 
— despatching. As one of these trains stands in a 
great station within a moment of departure, it is 
a concrete expression of the result of efficient plan¬ 
ning, scheduling, and despatching. It is ready for 
its journey with all necessary equipment and with 
steam up. The coaches have been cleaned and 
warmed. Dining car and pullman are supplied with 
clean linens. Materials for elaborate meals and 
utensils for preparing them, china, silver, flowers 
for the tables, cigars, matches, and all other ac¬ 
cessories are in their places on time. Magazines, 
newspapers, and stationery are in the library car. 
Conductor, engineer, fireman, brakeman, flagman, 
porter, chefs and waiters are there, each with his 
proper uniform, freshly cleaned and pressed. All 


57 



58 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


this means careful planning and preparation of defi¬ 
nite schedules and above all — despatching. The 
necessary thing is done and done on time. 

Somewhere out of sight and almost unknown is 
the train despatcher, who not only sends out orders 
to the conductor, telling him when to leave each 
station and how far he may run before receiving an¬ 
other order, but, in the same way, despatches other 
trains on the tracks, thus avoiding wrecks. He also 
notifies station agents, tower men, and switchmen so 
that all will know when the train is coming and be 
ready for it. Study the despatching in a battleship, 
in a hotel dining room, in a household or in the 
large factories where thousands are employed and 
note particularly how a definite schedule is de¬ 
spatched. So is the work of the world carried on. 

The principle of despatching is a simple one and 
one that is always and everywhere considered wise. 
It simply means that when the time comes to do 
a thing, we should have everything on hand, be pre¬ 
pared to do it, and then do it on time. There are 
many methods of despatching and aids to it, but 
while the method is unimportant, the fact is most 
important. How many golden opportunities are al¬ 
lowed to pass simply through procrastination, and 
how many people waste time and energy because 
they do not efficiently despatch their work! 




DESPATCHING 


59 


The great essential for the application of this 
principle is the training of { the will. Planning, as 
we have learned, is looking ahead, deciding what is 
to be done, and what is needed for its accomplish¬ 
ment. Schedules assign to each act a definite time 
and place and definite quantities and qualities of 
materials according to standards. These are ac¬ 
complished by the mind, but this is not enough. It 
is not enough to plan and to write schedules no 
matter how elaborate and perfect they may be. So 
for us it is not enough to have a rule, to meditate, 
plan, and make a list of good resolutions: these 
must be carried out. Schedules must be in regular 
operation at the proper time. All this requires de¬ 
spatching, which is solely the work of the will. 

Now, what does all this imply? If I want to find 
the most efficient way to accomplish the work I 
have planned or come up to the standard that holy 
rule holds up to me, I must use my will in efficient 
despatching. In other words, I must be efficient in 
the practice of obedience — obedience to my Divine 
Leader, whose standard I have chosen; —“I have 
come to do the will of Him, that sent Me.” He was 
“obedient unto death,” and Him I obey in my rule, 
my conscience, and my superior. 

This obedience we see everywhere and no place 
is it more forcibly brought before us than in the 




60 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


business world where employees are almost slaves 
to their employers, and we know, these children of 
the world are wiser in their way than the children 
of light. They see the advantages of despatching 
and know that no affair can have a successful issue 
without it. The efficiency consists, not only in 
promptitude of action, but also completion of an 
action within a certain limited time. How often do 
they not compel themselves to act according to plans 
and schedules and to make heroic efforts to act on 
time. This builds character, frees a person from 
procrastination, grasps opportunities that would 
otherwise be lost, and in this way capitalizes spare 
time and wins rapid advancement. 

Is not this our desire? Is not this our obligation 
and a serious one, the obligation of advancing in 
perfection? But how well we know that our de¬ 
linquency always has its source in the lack of 
obedience in one form or another! We did not effi¬ 
ciently despatch some operation. Are we not fre¬ 
quently like the man who lost an hour in the morn¬ 
ing and spent the entire day chasing after it? 

The means for efficient despatching in a com¬ 
munity are not wanting, for the bell calls us to duty 
when the hour for that duty arrives; but even this 
means fails, unless we have schooled ourselves to 
answer that call promptly or to discontinue one duty 




DESPATCHING 


6l 


and resume another, just as the case may be. Have 
you not experienced the satisfaction that came at 
the close of a day when each action, from rising in 
the morning until retiring at night, was begun and 
ended in its own proper time? On the other hand, 
did you ever experience the contrary? Perhaps you 
were an hour late in rising. That necessitated mak¬ 
ing your spiritual exercises alone after the com¬ 
munity, postponing early morning duties, causing 
the whole morning to be spent in a rushed, confused 
manner, and possibly shifting some duties till after¬ 
noon, thus disturbing the remainder of the day. In 
all probability, night closed in upon you with some 
part of your duty left unfinished or hurriedly and 
carelessly performed. 

Then again, take your faults. Look at your 
record. Perhaps you are recording the same fault 
every day for weeks and months, even years. You 
see it, you have planned to overcome it, you know 
means you could use to avoid it and yet it still has 
a place on your record. Why? Because you are 
not using the principle of despatching. Your moral 
courage is weak. You are procrastinating, giving 
in to nature, instead of forcing your will to act as 
a business man would overcome some obstacle to 
his temporal gain. The trouble is, most of us have 
not the courage of our convictions. We would like 




62 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


to advance but we are constantly making excuses 
for ourselves. Look about you, consider all great 
men that have achieved success. Look at the saints. 
Did they act in this way? By no means. When 
they saw a thing was good, saw how it could be 
theirs, at once they began to do, and they won their 
prize. Remember, though we should pray as if all 
depended upon God, we must work as if all de¬ 
pended on ourselves. What a generous will we had 
when we began! Nothing was too much. We un¬ 
dertook the work of our self-improvement, studied 
our faults, planned our lives, had ourselves sched¬ 
uled to be saints, but today we see a spiritual basket, 
as it were, filled to overflowing with tasks labeled 
“unfinished.” 

Now if you find this to be your case, since you are 
no better than your weakest point, begin with your 
greatest enemy, your pet fault, plan its eradication, 
schedule the victory, and when the time comes — do 
the deed or omit the deed, cost what it may. The 
next time it will not be so hard. If we had always 
acted thus, to what heights of sanctity we would 
have attained! What glory we would have given 
to God and what good to our fellow-men! 

This is a vast subject for it includes every act in 
our moral and physical life. Think well on this, 
study it in everything about you. Nature is a won- 




DESPATCHING 


63 


derful example of efficient despatching. Look at 
the order in the seasons, in animal and plant life, 
and in the motion of the heavenly bodies. What 
would become of the earth if the elements did not 
despatch their operations? What happens in our 
own system when the heart or some other organ fails 
to work? Sickness, and even death, results. Much 
more serious is the result of sluggishness in our 
spiritual life, because works are what win the prize. 
“Faith without works is dead.” 

Look at our Divine Master in the Garden, the 
night before His Sacred Passion, after he had spent 
several hours in that dreadful agony, foreseeing His 
coming trial, intense sufferings, and man’s ingrati¬ 
tude; yet, when the traitor could be seen in the dis¬ 
tance, Jesus, His whole appearance radiating 
courage, said to His sleepy disciples, “Arise, let us 
go, for he is at hand, who will betray Me.” Here, 
now, is our Model. We make a profession of fol¬ 
lowing Him. “Arise, let us go.” Let us put aside 
our tepidity and sloth, arm ourselves with prayer 
each day, and if it tears our hearts into shreds, let 
us keep to our rule, obey our superiors, promptly, 
entirely and blindly, and follow in all things the 
dictates of our conscience. If the grace of God in¬ 
spires us to acts of virtue, let us be souls of valor, 




64 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


and setting aside the dictates of nature or passion, 
say with a courageous will, “Arise, let us go.” Yes, 
let us go to suffering or death, for what does it 
matter provided we reach our standard and fulfill 
God’s holy will? 




VI 


STANDARDIZED CONDITIONS 




























































































































Chapter VI 

STANDARDIZED CONDITIONS 


HE fifth principle applied by the student 
of personal efficiency is that of stand¬ 
ardizing the conditions under which he 
does his work, such as light, tempera¬ 
ture, ventilation, quiet, furniture, methods, and gen¬ 
eral equipment. He learns how external conditions 
and his own physical and mental condition affect his 
efficiency; that such conditions can be standardized 
in two ways: first, by making a complete change in 
conditions; second, by bringing existing conditions 
up to a high state of efficiency. 

Standardization of conditions depends upon stand¬ 
ards, records, plans, schedules, and despatching, and 
you have no doubt noticed that the application of 
the foregoing principles has done much in stand¬ 
ardizing conditions. These principles are interde¬ 
pendent and it is almost impossible to apply any of 
them without applying, to a greater or less extent, 
all the others. By studying each principle by it- 
67 





68 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


self, we can apply it consciously, therefore more 
fully and effectively. 

Standards are here, as everywhere, fundamental 
to progress in efficiency. You must have standards 
of supply and use of time, materials and equipment, 
before you can determine what conditions are best. 
You must make use of records in order to determine 
the value of trial conditions under investigation. 
You cannot produce trial conditions for the purpose 
of testing them, nor can you make standard condi¬ 
tions after they have been determined without con¬ 
stant and intelligent use of plans. In order that 
your conditions may be present when wanted, where 
wanted, in what quantities and what qualities they 
are wanted, you must make schedules. Despatch¬ 
ing prepares everything and provides it at a proper 
place, in the proper way, and at the proper time. 
Standardized conditions make work quicker and 
easier. A good example of this is seen in the ath¬ 
lete, training for a high jump. His aim is to clear 
the bar at six feet. He begins practice with the bar 
at three feet or even two, but, every time he jumps, 
he takes a short run and, as far as possible, makes 
a leap in nearly as perfect form as for leaping the 
bar at six feet. He raises the bar inch by inch as 
he increases in strength and skill. At first this form 
may be difficult for him, but as he continues to prac- 




STANDARDIZED CONDITIONS 69 


tice he perfects himself in it until it becomes easy 
for him, not only at three feet, but, even after he 
has reached his aim and is clearing the bar at six 
feet. All this time he has in his mind, as an incen¬ 
tive, the winning of first prize at the contest. The 
example also brings out the three essentials to in¬ 
creased efficiency, high aim, standardized form, a 
reward. Unless the athlete made each jump his 
best effort, his condition would not improve. He 
could jump a bar placed one foot above the ground 
for months and even years, but that practice would 
not bring him to the high six-foot jump. Hence the 
necessity of high aim, constant application of the 
best efforts, and standardized form. But to stimu¬ 
late this effort he keeps before his mind the efficiency 
reward which is the winning of a prize. Look at the 
intense, eager and utterly abandoned interest he puts 
into his practice. He also introduces the elements 
of competition not only with others but with his own 
past results. He, no doubt, has a vivid mental pic¬ 
ture of himself by anticipation. He also introduces 
the element of love. And what a power is love! 
When we love to do a thing, how much easier it 
becomes and how much more quickly and thor¬ 
oughly it is performed! 

Besides making work quicker and easier, stand¬ 
ardized conditions prepare the way for further stand- 




70 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


ardization, for when one’s work is unstandardized 
both as to personal condition and as to externals, it 
requires constant conscious mental effort and at¬ 
tention. Since no dependence can be put on con¬ 
ditions, one is compelled, each time a task is per¬ 
formed, to meet and suit them to the occasions as 
best he can. When once conditions have been stand¬ 
ardized, however, they require but little further at¬ 
tention. Thus the mind is freed of a burden and 
is given time and opportunity to study and initiate 
new plans, new schedules, better methods of de¬ 
spatching and short cuts to higher standards. Not 
only so, but one has, by standardizing his own con¬ 
dition of mental and physical health, increased the 
alertness, power, and activity of the mind thus set 
free. Thus the worldly wise prepare for the game 
of life. Is there anything here for the children of 
light to imitate? Can our conditions be standardized? 

We have seen that conditions can be classified 
broadly under two heads; first, changing conditions 
entirely and erecting new standards; second, stand¬ 
ardizing existing conditions for greater efficiency. 
What is my condition, the state of my soul, of my 
interior spiritual life? Radically, I am a child of 
a fallen race, born in sin, with inclinations and ten¬ 
dencies to evil a part of my very being. Passions 
strongly rage within me, and nothingness is my only 




STANDARDIZED CONDITIONS 


71 


possession. I have added to this numberless per¬ 
sonal sins, tinged with the malice of an insubordi¬ 
nate will. Such a condition requires a complete 
change, but a change impossible to the finite being, 
and wrought only by the merits of Our Blessed Re¬ 
deemer. The Blood of the God-man must flow over 
such a soul and give it supernatural life before its 
condition will be that of a child of God. This 
change, then, was wrought in each one of us when 
we received the Sacrament of Baptism and our con¬ 
dition was thus raised to the standard of a Christian. 
But for us the Holy Ghost had a higher standard. 
He has called us to a higher condition, that of 
spouses of Christ, placing before us His standard 
which we have already considered. But the very 
fact of living a religious life and wearing the habit 
of an Order, does not imply that we have reached 
the goal or that our condition is thereby standard¬ 
ized. Religious, though following the same rule, 
doing practically the same work and saying the same 
prayers, may differ greatly in their interior condi¬ 
tion. 

Some persons, though they are good in the sense 
that they fulfill their obligations, live on the surface; 
the interior life seems to have no attractions for 
them, for they are guided more by worldly prin¬ 
ciples than by the Spirit of God. Slight faults do 




72 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


not trouble their conscience, virtue is rather a matter 
of indifference, their prayers are said in a sort of 
routine fashion, and they are not far from a state 
of tepidity. This is a condition that needs an utter 
change. Spirituality must take the place of worldli¬ 
ness; virtue, that of carelessness; and strong in¬ 
terior devotion, that of superficial, machine-like 
prayers. A true conversion of heart must take place. 

If my records show constant failure along the line 
of my predominant passion, with little or no im¬ 
provement; or if I find it a very tedious task to keep 
a record, to mark my particular examen; if virtue 
does not have an attraction for me; if small contra¬ 
dictions and petty annoyances disturb my interior 
peace, — I may well conclude that I need to change 
my condition. I must pray, pray earnestly that 
light and strength be given me to face the battle I 
must necessarily wage against myself. If possible, 
I should make a good retreat and there begin the 
work. There I shall be put on the right way, there 
I can do efficient planning, careful scheduling; but 
there remains then, the all difficult task, despatching 
my resolutions. Courage, courage, O my soul! 
“Arise, let us go.” 

Even if we are leading a good life and following 
the course of a fervent religious, we must never for¬ 
get that conditions can ever be brought to higher 




STANDARDIZED CONDITIONS 


73 


standardization. Take the condition of light, under 
which we labor. A student who constantly works 
under a poor light, weakens his eyes to such an 
extent as frequently to render his work a complete 
failure. Take, again, a traveler. What headway 
could he make without light? He would surely 
lose his way if not meet with some terrible fate, as 
falling over a precipice or walking into a watery 
grave. So it is with our spiritual light, the light of 
faith. The spirit of faith should permeate all our 
actions. Are we laboring under a dim or a bright 
light? If our faith is weak, the eyes of our con¬ 
science will become weakened and a sickly soul will 
be the result. We must bring this condition up to 
a standard by studying more and more the teach¬ 
ings of the Church, and above all by praying much 
and praying often for an increase of the divine vir¬ 
tue, for God alone can give us this supernatural light. 
Form the habit of reciting frequently the ejacula¬ 
tion with the Apostles, “Lord, increase my faith.” 
It was the faith of the poor suffering inhabitants of 
Palestine that drew miracles of grace and compas¬ 
sion from the Heart of Jesus. How frequently did 
He not say: “Thy faith hath made thee whole!” 

Again, when everything is done in a spirit of faith, 
all our actions take on a supernatural character, free 
from the dross of earth and become most pleasing 




74 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


to God. We learn to live above the petty annoy¬ 
ances and conditions of daily life and use them as 
so many stepping stones to a higher condition: 

All common things, each day's events, 

That with the hour begin and end, 

Our pleasures and our discontents 
Are rounds by which we may ascend . 

Standing on what too long we bore 
With shoulders bent and down-cast eyes, 

We may discern — unseen before 
A path to higher destinies. 

LONGFELLOW 

The Providence of God becomes visible in every¬ 
thing that occurs. We realize that joys and sorrows 
alike come from the hand of a loving Father, and we 
are lifted above this world to hold converse in 
heaven, as the Apostle advises us. With temptations 
against faith we must never trifle or argue, but the 
instant we recognize them, make use of the oppor¬ 
tunity for making an act of blind faith, “Lord, I 
believe, help Thou my unbelief.” 

Another important condition that influences our 
religious efficiency is that of purity of heart. Grant¬ 
ing that most of us, by God’s grace, spend our life 




STANDARDIZED CONDITIONS 


75 


in God’s friendship, greater purity of conscience 
should be our constant endeavor. Here, again, we 
see how this fifth principle greatly depends on the 
foregoing principles and how they in turn depend 
upon it; for to standardize the condition of our con¬ 
science we must make use of records, plans, sched¬ 
ules, and despatching. In other words, we must 
know ourselves by examens of conscience, plan our 
improvement, fix a rule of conduct, and follow it. 

The chief means, as we well know, to purify our 
hearts is frequent confession, made most sincerely 
and earnestly, and with untiring efforts to obtain 
perfect contrition. Even when God’s grace has 
enabled us to free ourselves from deliberate or semi- 
deliberate sins and faults, the grace of the holy 
Sacrament of Penance is to increase our purity of 
heart and to impart strength to our souls. There¬ 
fore, we should let nothing interfere with our weekly 
confession. 

But as the sun is among the stars, preeminent, 
so is Holy Communion among the means of raising 
the condition of the poor fallen children of Adam. 
Miserable, sinful creatures, though we are, Infinite 
Purity does not hesitate to enter into our poor 
hearts. The angels in heaven may well look upon 
us with holy envy, for by Holy Communion our con¬ 
dition is above that of those blessed spirits, though 




76 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


they, indeed, see God face to face and we, “as 
through a veil.” The first fruit of a fervent Com¬ 
munion is purity of heart. So each time we receive 
we should ask our Blessed Lord to wash every stain 
and especially our pet fault from our soul. In this 
way the Sacrament will have greater effect. 

With what joy must not our dear Lord cleanse a 
heart that is constantly striving to please Him and 
is making daily, hourly, unceasing efforts to become 
more pleasing to Him. “God will not be outdone 
in generosity.” He will not only purify our hearts 
from our past failures, but pour into them special 
graces that will enable us to free ourselves more and 
more from our disorderly inclinations. He will show 
us the way to further standardization, strengthen 
our will in what is good and teach us how to purify 
our intention. We think, no doubt, we have a good 
will, yet let some one notify us of some failing or 
open our eyes to something offensive in ourselves, 
instantly we set about excusing the fault if not try¬ 
ing to cast the blame on some other person or thing. 
If our will were really good, should we not be thank¬ 
ful for the self-knowledge this has given us, and 
humbling ourselves, immediately set about making 
reparation and planning to do differently? 

Then again, we begin each day with a complete 
offering of every thought, word, and deed for the 




STANDARDIZED CONDITIONS 


77 


glory of God, and before we have finished our morn¬ 
ing exercises, we find self-love looking for its re¬ 
past. Complete starvation is the only means to take 
away the life of this monster. We cannot slay it 
by a single stroke of the sword. We must stifle the 
intrusions of self-seeking as we do temptations 
against faith, by an act of contrary virtue, positively 
saying with St. Bernard, “I did not begin for thee, 
neither will I heed thee now. All for Thy glory, O 
my God.” Here again, our records are a help, and 
purity of intention should often form a subject of 
our particular examen. 

Besides these most important points, there are 
also minor conditions which greatly influence our 
spiritual life. Take the condition of quiet, which the 
student of efficiency considers such a help. For us, 
it simply means silence, interior and exterior. A 
soul that is quiet and calm can become master of 
many a circumstance, where the disturbed, excited 
and blustering one would fall miserably; if not fall 
at least lose much, spiritually, mentally or physi¬ 
cally, and yet, we are laboring to eliminate waste. 
“The devil loves to fish in troubled waters,” and the 
soul that is in a constant turmoil is an ever-ready 
pool for Satan’s net. 

We must also take into consideration our physi¬ 
cal condition, for the “corruptible body is a load 




78 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


upon the soul,” and frequently our inability to pray 
is due to our temperamental condition. If we learn 
to see this, instead of lamenting and perhaps seeking 
consolation in creatures or indulging in light, frivo¬ 
lous reading or gratifying nature, we should make 
an act of resignation and offer our inability and dull¬ 
ness as an humble offering to God, acknowledge our 
helplessness and languor, and thereby turn what 
seems a misfortune to a very useful and fruitful 
prayer: then God will be pleased. Oftentimes, a 
walk in the fresh air, where we can contemplate the 
presence of God in the very air we breathe and in 
all the beauties of nature, will do much in restoring 
vigor and energy to a sluggish, tired soul. 

External conditions do much also to help or 
hinder our spiritual progress. The weather, the 
condition of our apartments, class rooms, studios, 
etc., have a subconscious influence upon us. We 
must look into these things and see how we per¬ 
sonally are affected, and we can do much toward 
making all, sources of merit and advancement. For 
instance, a certain kind of a day makes you gloomy 
and irritable. Well, since you know it, be on special 
guard lest those around you feel the effects of your 
eccentricity, strive to be agreeable and pleasing, 
especially in your conversation, rather than morose 
and complaining. Keep your apartments in an or- 




STANDARDIZED CONDITIONS 


79 


derly condition, have a place for everything, and 
everything in its place. Many people become flus¬ 
tered and cross because, when they are in instant 
need of something it can not be found. Often a 
few flowers in a room cheer up a soul by reminding 
her of the beauty of virtue and the sweet odor of 
good example. 

We must also strive to standardize the mental 
conditions in our attitude toward the spiritual life. 
We looked at the interest and enthusiasm the ath¬ 
lete put into his work. Let us imitate him and put 
the same interest and enthusiasm into our efforts 
to become spiritual athletes, for we wrestle not only 
with the flesh and blood but with “Principalities 
and Powers.” Let us study the lives of the saints 
and say with St. Augustine, “What they did, with 
God’s grace I can do.” 

Another help is to keep before our mind the re¬ 
wards to be gained, painting vivid mental pictures 
of ourselves enjoying them, thus stimulating our¬ 
selves by anticipation. Worldlings do this, and 
“Know you not that they who run in the race, all 
run indeed, but one receiveth the prize? So run 
that you may obtain. Everyone that striveth for 
the mastery, refraineth himself from all things, and 
they indeed that they may receive a corruptible 
crown, but we an incorruptible one.” (St. Paul, 




80 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


Cor. IX. 24-25). In general, do I, in planning 
anything whatsoever, often ask myself, “Have I 
done everything possible to prepare myself for what 
is before me? Have I done everything possible to 
surround myself with the most suitable conditions, 
spiritual, mental, and physical, and with the means, 
materials, and equipment that I am to use?” This 
is the essence of standardized conditions. 






VII 

STANDARDIZED OPERATIONS 





Chapter VII 

STANDARDIZED OPERATIONS 



Y standardized operations we mean the 
best, easiest, and quickest methods of 
doing things. In the preceding chapters, 
we have been establishing standards and 
doing our utmost to find and take the best, easiest, 
and quickest ways to accomplish results. By the 
use of records we tested the operations of daily life 
and tried to discover and eliminate waste of time 
and means. When we had advanced a step farther 
and had begun to plan our endeavors, we improved 
our operations correspondingly. Schedules made a 
still closer investigation into our methods and stand¬ 
ardized each. When we began to pay attention to 
despatching, the need for standardized operations 
became still more apparent. To despatch work, to 
begin it on time, to finish it on time, we found it 
necessary to plan for and fix upon effective and 
reliable methods. We found it impractical to go 
very far in standardizing conditions without first 
83 




84 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


standardizing the operations by which we brought 
about conditions. 

There is only one best, easiest, and quickest way 
to do anything and we must take that way con¬ 
sciously, for unless we study, investigate, experi¬ 
ment, and plan operations, they must be chosen by 
chance and only once out of a hundred cases may 
we happen to come upon a right way. We cannot 
reasonably depend upon chance. 

We see some people who are always extremely 
“busy.” They do not plan their work but simply 
turn feverishly from one task to another as they 
present themselves, wasting valuable time in fretful 
and anxious waitings between tasks. Such people 
are often too busy to be kind and a companion is 
slighted and wounded by a harsh reply, and actions 
if not words speak the heartless phrase, “I am too 
busy to bother about you.” Then, again, we meet 
some who do much more work than the former 
class, yet they always seem to have time for every¬ 
one. Approach them when and where you will, they 
receive you kindly and never seem to be overbur¬ 
dened. Why this difference? The latter planned, 
scheduled, despatched, had conditions and opera¬ 
tions so standardized as to have no need for worry, 
commotion, or excitement. This is particularly true 
of mental operations. Some one has well said, 




STANDARDIZED OPERATIONS 85 


“Success or failure in business is caused more by- 
mental attitude even, than by mental capacities.” 
We shall learn more about this later on, but we 
have a glimpse of the possibilities of standardized 
mental conditions and operations and we can begin 
to work. 

A student in efficiency is taught to break away 
from customs or any method inherited or chosen by 
chance. He is taught to develop the courage to 
strike out on unbeaten paths. The next truth he 
learns is that it pays to take infinite pains and years 
of time, if need be, to standardize any one impor¬ 
tant operation and that it is worth the most con¬ 
scientious and unwavering persistence. The genius 
is sometimes defined as one who takes infinite pains. 
When this is well understood, it is impressed upon 
the student that an operation is not standardized 
until by drill and practice he has made himself its 
master. 

The great value of drill and practice in the mas¬ 
tery of any operation is that we pass from great 
effort and slight results to slight effort and great 
results. It does not necessarily mean easy work; it 
sometimes means exceedingly hard work. But 
whether we make work hard or easy the effect of 
the standardized operation is to increase the de¬ 
sirable result far beyond the effort. It is easier to 




86 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


walk than to learn to ride a bicycle, but once you 
have learned to ride you travel a mile with less 
effort than it took to walk a block. If you have 
learned to play a musical instrument you know how 
difficult it was when you first began practicing the 
scale. The advantage of drill, practice, and training 
of standardized operations is that the best, easiest, 
and quickest way of doing a thing becomes practi¬ 
cally automatic. Standardized operations are or¬ 
derly and they replace guess work by accurate 
knowledge. A great help in the standardization of 
operations is to observe in the actions of others, 
which things succeed and which do not. We thus 
learn to avoid their mistakes and follow their suc¬ 
cessful actions, thereby setting up standards. 

Let us study for a little while the all-important 
operation in religious life — prayer. The com¬ 
monly received definition for prayer is the raising 
of our mind and heart to God. The raising of mind 
and heart implies our lowly, humble condition. We 
must lift our mind, elevate our thoughts to God, 
think of Him and His infinite perfections; lift our 
heart to love, praise and thank Him and to beg His 
fatherly protection and assistance. Each time we 
do this we perform the operation known as prayer; 
but to bring prayer to the highest standard we must 
acquire an uninterrupted and intimate communica- 




STANDARDIZED CONDITIONS 87 


tion with Almighty God, union unbroken — this is 
the standard. We begin by an attempt to raise our 
mind and heart to God, but remember that to be¬ 
come efficient it is necessary to standardize this 
operation. We have all read of the unwavering per¬ 
sistence of St. Aloysius in mental prayer until he 
could spend one hour without distraction. It is only 
by drill and practice in prayer, as in anything else, 
that we will become masters. A saint is a genius 
in prayer and it is this alone that makes him a 
saint. 

This familiar converse with God, taking up our 
standard again, is impossible as long as sin has any 
part in our lives; but we are doing everything in 
our power, by the use of plans, etc., to free ourselves 
once for all from this monster and thus are taking 
the first steps in the life of prayer. Along with this 
we must enter with whole-souled fervor into all our 
spiritual exercises. The vocal prayers used in re¬ 
ligious communities have been chosen by saintly 
souls, experts in spiritual efficiency, and contain the 
savor of true heavenly wisdom which many of us 
do not taste because we do not enter deeply enough 
into their real meaning and purpose. If we would 
take these prayers occasionally as a subject of medi¬ 
tation and let our souls be impressed by the beauti¬ 
ful thoughts and sentiments contained in them, they 




88 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


would become a mine from whence we could con¬ 
stantly draw the gold of true virtue. But the im¬ 
pression must come before we can draw from them. 
We know the secret of learning anything or impart¬ 
ing any knowledge to another is in the impression, 
and only in so far as the mind has been impressed, 
can the knowledge be called our own. So in spirit¬ 
ual matters, the mind must be enlightened before 
the will can act meritoriously, hence the necessity 
of serious application of thought to our prayers. 

Think what saints we should be if we lived up 
to all that is contained in our morning prayer alone. 
Consider a soul consecrated to God, rising in the 
morning with praise and thanksgiving as a first 
thought, offering every thought, word, and act as 
an homage to God, begging pardon for past offences, 
making a fresh beginning in her efforts to do God’s 
holy will, renewing the sacred vows of her profes¬ 
sion, uniting every throb of her heart with the 
Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart 
of Mary with the intention of glorifying God in all 
that is to come during the day. What more could 
a poor creature do? But if this is done only half¬ 
heartedly or as a matter of routine, the essence is 
lost and, because we so often pray thus, only half¬ 
present, we find ourselves in a state of languor and 
tepidity. Each day we should endeavor to enter 




STANDARDIZED OPERATIONS 89 


more deeply into the meaning of our spiritual ex¬ 
ercises. The saint is a genius in prayer, but the 
saints were not all born saints; they became such 
by strong personal efforts to draw grace from the 
throne of God by prayer. We are so apt to run 
along the beaten path of carelessness, to say our 
prayers like a record run off from an “Edison,” 
simply because the prayer-bell has been rung and 
we are in the habit of answering its call. Such 
prayers are as mere noise to the ear of Almighty 
God and draw displeasure, rather than grace from 
Him. We do not pray with our lips, they are only 
a channel; we pray with our hearts. Prayer is the 
lifting of mind and heart to God. The definition 
does not say prayer is the moving of our lips to utter 
pious words. 

We must make our prayer an interior conversa¬ 
tion with our Heavenly Father — a heart to heart 
talk. If we do this, the influence of our spiritual 
exercises will have a far-reaching effect, until, 
finally, this interior communication becomes auto¬ 
matic, and we pass from difficult efforts with small 
results, to ease in prayer with great results. At 
first it is difficult, as everything is that is worth 
while, but does a worldly genius stop for difficulties? 
He knows it takes years of perseverance before he 
reaches the height of his fame. The saints, too, be- 




90 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


came saints through the realization of this fact. 
Success does not come by chance. It comes only 
by serious effort and dogged perseverance. 

Then remember the attitude. Just as success or 
failure in business is caused more by mental attitude 
than by mental capacity, so in this business of our 
sanctification, success or failure is caused more by 
attitude than by capacity. In our relations with 
Almighty God, we look upon Him as a task-master, 
a severe judge instead of the Father of love and 
mercy that He really is. He loves to have us come 
to Him with childlike confidence, humble, certainly, 
on account of our failings and nothingness, contrite 
and willing to do better; but instead of putting 
forth and dwelling upon our misery and sinfulness, 
presenting God with the back of the picture, as it 
were, let us turn the other side to Him and with 
cheerful countenance, aim all our plans and en¬ 
deavors to please Him and to bring honor and glory 
to Him. Strive to love Him as He deserves, and 
with a willing mind and a loving heart, generously 
offer Him tender, filial devotion. This is the attitude 
that will appeal to the Heart of God. This is the 
life of prayer, this is doing God’s holy will, this is 
living up to our standard. 

Besides the interior life of prayer, the religious 
is called upon to assist the community in its ma- 




STANDARDIZED OPERATIONS 


91 


terial needs and to fill some place assigned him by 
obedience. This work, by the very fact of its as¬ 
signment by obedience, is divine in its origin and 
hence a great work, for no work is small that comes 
from the will of God. Again, this wotk is great in 
its object, for all religious orders were instituted 
for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. No 
matter what the task of the individual is, the one 
noble purpose is the same and so remains. From 
the office of the general of an order down to that 
of the last lay member, each duty is so designed 
as to further this supernatural end. It is said that 
when the eagle builds its nest, all the other birds 
assist in some way, each bringing a straw or feather 
to construct the home of the king bird. This is, 
indeed, a beautiful picture of the work of religious, 
but for work so great in its origin and so noble in 
its object, what perfection should not accompany 
its performance! 

The first requisite to make our work pleasing to 
God and meritorious for eternal life, is to be in the 
state of sanctifying grace; the second, to perform 
that work with a pure intention, with no mixture 
of self interest, self indulgence or vanity, and to the 
best of our ability. The Holy Spirit commands us 
in Ecclus. 33:23, “In all thy works keep the pre¬ 
eminence.” Whatever may be our line of work, if 




92 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


it be assigned by obedience, it should be our con¬ 
stant study to perfect ourselves in it day by day. 
We, too, might be called, “busy, busy, busy,” but 
we accomplish very little. We waste very much 
time because we have not efficiently planned, sched¬ 
uled, and despatched our daily tasks. Many of us 
have much to learn from the skillful workers of the 
world. Religious homes should be the cleanest and 
neatest in the land; the work sent out from a con¬ 
vent should bear the stamp of painstaking care and 
skill; religious nurses should surpass seculars in 
tenderness, patience, and attention to the sick; re¬ 
ligious teachers should not only handle their sub¬ 
jects well but be builders of character and lights 
and examples to their pupils. Each must be the 
personification of the Christian spirit, and why? 
Because the religious works for God and nothing 
but the best should be offered to the Divine Maj¬ 
esty. It would be an insult to offer an earthly 
sovereign an inferior gift. How much more to the 
King of kings! 

If we do not strive to perfect our ordinary ac¬ 
tions, how can we expect the everlasting reward of 
the possession of God? We are not called to ex¬ 
traordinary works. If we were, could we hope to 
be faithful and true, since we have not perfected 
ourselves in lesser ones? Constant application in 




STANDARDIZED OPERATIONS 


93 


the performance of our daily duties, calls for real 
heroism, if not constantly, at least most of the time, 
and anyone who has experienced it knows that such 
a life is justly called a slow martyrdom, not so much 
for the intensity of the suffering as for its duration. 
We meet men and women every day in the world 
who make greater sacrifices than we, but for an 
earthly dignity or recompense. Why is it that they 
do not seem to notice the sacrifice they are making? 
Because of the love they have for the object of their 
ambition, to obtain which every nerve and fibre of 
their being is strained. Their other feelings are 
stunned, as it were, by the stronger love for gold, 
pleasure, or honor. This is the reason for their un¬ 
flinching courage. 

Do we complain of the hardships or of the 
severity of our rule or duties of our life? If so, 
what is missing? The love of the object of our 
life. If we loved more we would not feel the sting 
of the sacrifice. Everything is easy to love . The 
least action performed through love has greater 
merit before God than the greatest action per¬ 
formed through a less perfect motive. God rewards 
or punishes an action more on account of the affec¬ 
tion that accompanies it than for the action itself. 
So if we want all our operations to be of great value 
before God, let us perform them to the best of our 




94 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


ability with strong feelings of love and the intention 
of pleasing our beloved Spouse. So important and 
powerful is this love that St. Bernard goes so far as 
to say, “Love, and do what you please.” Love will 
standardize all our operations. 




VIII 

WRITTEN STANDARD-PRACTICE 
INSTRUCTIONS 








































’ 















































» 





























































































Chapter VIII 


WRITTEN STANDARD-PRACTICE 
INSTRUCTIONS 

UPPOSE you could destroy all school 
and college text-books, the Bible and 
the Ten Commandments, all books of 
philosophy and science, all historical 
records; stop the publication of all magazines, 
throw away all collections of written and printed 
rules and directions for the operating of machines, 
tools, railroads, and steamships: picture if you can 
the resultant slowing up and turning backward of 
the wheels of progress. If you can imagine this you 
will begin to perceive the important part played in 
human affairs by the principle of written standard- 
practice instructions. School text-books, books on 
business, technical books, periodicals, Holy Scrip¬ 
ture, the rule of the institute to which you belong, 
all books of meditation or spiritual reading may be 
classed as written standard-practice instructions. 
Likewise the resolutions recorded during retreats, 
extracts from sermons, or any other thoughts 



97 






98 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


written for further guidance are standard-practice 
instructions. 

This seventh principle is universally applicable. 
We shall see here a few ways in which we can work 
out the application for ourselves. We expect to go 
on growing and developing, adding more and more 
to our efficiency, as long as we live. A most striking 
example of written standard-practice instructions 
is that compiled by Benjamin Franklin in his auto¬ 
biography, which we are told he learned from the 
teachings of St. Ignatius. “I conceived the bold 
and arduous project of arriving at moral perfec¬ 
tion, 5> he writes. “I wished to live without com¬ 
mitting any fault at any time; I would conquer all 
that either natural inclinations, customs, or com¬ 
pany might lead me into. As I knew or thought I 
knew what was right or wrong, I did not see why 
I might not always do the one and avoid the other. 
But I soon found I had undertaken a task of more 
difficulty than I had imagined. While my care was 
employed in guarding against one fault, I was often 
surprised by another; habit took the advantage of 
inattention; I concluded at length, that the mere 
speculative conviction that it was our interest to be 
completely virtuous, was not sufficient to prevent 
our slipping; that the contrary habits must be 
broken and good ones acquired and established be- 




STANDARD-PRACTICE INSTRUCTIONS 99 


fore we can have any dependence on a steady, uni¬ 
form rectitude of conduct. For this purpose I 
therefore contrived the following method. 

The names of the virtues were: 


1. Temperance 

2. Silence 

3. Order 

4. Resolution 

5. Frugality 

6. Industry 


t 7 TTnmilitv 


7. Sincerity 

8. Justice 

9. Moderation 

10. Cleanliness 

11. Tranquillity 

12. Chastity 


“My intention being to acquire the habitude of 
all the virtues, I judged it would be well not to dis¬ 
tract my attention by attempting the whole at once, 
but to fix on one of them at a time, and, when I 
should be master of that, then to proceed to another, 
and so on, till I should have gone through the thir¬ 
teen; and as the previous acquisition of some might 
facilitate the acquisition of certain others, I ar¬ 
ranged them with that view as they stand above. 

“I made a little book, in which I allotted a page 
for each of the virtues. I ruled each page with red 
ink, so as to have seven columns, one for each day 
of the week, marking each column with a letter for 
the day. I crossed these columns with thirteen red 
lines, marking the beginning of each line with the 




100 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


first letter of one of the virtues, on which line, and 
in its proper column, I might mark by a little black 
spot every fault I found upon examination to have 
been committed respecting that virtue upon that 
day. 

“I determined to give a week’s strict attention to 
each of the virtues successively. First, in the first 
week, my great guard was to avoid every least of¬ 
fence against temperance, leaving the other virtues 
to their ordinary chance by marking every evening 
the faults of the day. Thus, if in the first week I 
could keep my first line marked “T” clear of spots, 
I supposed the habit of that virtue so much strength¬ 
ened, and its opposite weakened, that I might ven¬ 
ture extending my attention to include the next, and 
for the following week keep both lines clear of spots. 
Proceeding thus to the last, I could go through the 
complete course in thirteen weeks, and four courses 
a year. And like him, who, having a garden to 
weed, does not attempt to eradicate all the bad 
herbs at once, which would exceed his reach and 
strength, but works on one side of the beds at a 
time, and having accomplished the first, proceeds 
to the second, so I should have, I hoped, the en¬ 
couraging pleasure of seeing on my pages the prog¬ 
ress I made in virtue, by clearing successively my 
lines of their spots, till in the end, by a number of 




STANDARD-PRACTICE INSTRUCTIONS IOI 


courses, I should be happy in viewing a clean book, 
after a thirteen weeks’ daily examination.” 

Now this plan was taken and acted upon by a 
man seeking moral perfection knowing that “virtue 
is its own reward.” From the text we can see that 
his reward consisted chiefly in self-satisfaction. We 
are seeking Christian perfection and the saints give 
us a similar plan of action. God’s ever-ready grace 
continually urges us on and sustains our efforts. 
Do we use these means as courageously and sys¬ 
tematically as Franklin did? Such a little book, 
ruled in like manner with its list of Christian vir¬ 
tues, used according to the same method would be 
highly advantageous to every religious. 

Progress depends largely upon how one feels and 
thinks, and upon how keen and active the mind is; 
for though “God created us without our will, He 
will not save us without our cooperation,” says St. 
Augustine. As most of the things we have to do 
have in them of necessity a great deal of drudgery 
and monotonous effort, written standard-practice can 
be used to develop interest. To make them interest¬ 
ing we should see in them something more than the 
mere tasks themselves. Such elements may be: the 
hope of reward; the imitation of Christ or some saint 
we particularly love and admire; spirit of the game 
(if we are fond of games) played against our pas- 




102 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


sions or evil habits. We may consider the soul a mu¬ 
sical instrument and the virtues so many strains of 
beautiful harmony, produced for the pleasure of our 
divine Spouse, played at will by the heavenly Artist; 
or an uncarved stone, the sufferings and hardships 
of life so many blows of the hammer used in chisel¬ 
ing out the perfect Image of God. The Little 
Flower of Jesus called herself a plaything for the 
Infant Jesus. “I was the Divine Child’s little toy,” 
she writes, “to please and entertain Him. It was 
for me to do His will, not for Him to do mine.” In 
another place, she writes, “I picture my soul as a 
piece of building ground, and beg the Blessed Vir¬ 
gin to take away my imperfections, which are as 
heaps of rubbish — and then build upon it a great 
tabernacle, and adorn it with what she has to give 
and make it like heaven. Then I call on all the 
angels and saints to come and sing hymns of love 
therein.” 

Whatever element you choose, paint a vivid men¬ 
tal picture of yourself living in that element, thus 
whetting your desires and increasing your zeal. 
Now to this mental communion add the spoken 
word. State your desires. Urge yourself to greater 
effort. Speak out your determination to accomplish 
the end in view. Go a step further and write all 
these things for your own inspiration, encourage- 




5TAXDA2Q-? 5LACTIC£ INSTRUCTIONS IO 3 

ment. and direction. Speaking out or wr i tir. g a good 
impulse makes further action in the same Hue easier. 
Some time, -when you find yourself debating with 
nature and you see the right course, but have not 
sufficient courage to follow. say in a tone of de- 
dsk>u. “1 will not give in to nature. I will follow 
grace.” Act before you take another thought. The 
good results are evident. 

If the reading of a booh, a story, a poem the 
near:r.g of a sermon or spiritual .centre, inspires you 
to action or arouses in you intense desires to in¬ 
crease your perfection. the best thing to do is to 
act immediately, or at least to record such an in¬ 
spiration if the opportunity for action is lacking, 
and thus project into the future what you intend to 
do. Such writings as these become, in a very im¬ 
portant sense, written standard-practice instruc¬ 
tions. Another form that is elective is written or 
printed mottoes or reminders pinned up or put in 
books you see. where you can see them frequently, 
as: “Love thinketh no evil." “Think before you 
speak.” “True charity loves the unlovable.” “Kind¬ 
ness is the muse of the world.” “Sin is the only 
evil" Little Teresa of Jesus says she used to say 
over and over again to herself, the beautiful lines 
her father liked so much: “Time is thy ship — tis 
not thv dwelling zdace.” 













104 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


Another form is found in written resolutions or 
determinations, written either by oneself or adapted 
from some one else. The following are taken from 
the life of Saint Gabriel, C. P. found in his book of 
resolutions: “I will fulfill exactly my ordinary 
duties, mortifying myself in whatever would prove 
an obstacle to perfect obedience,” or again in the 
practice of humility, “I will not utter a word that 
might in the least turn to my praise. I will not take 
pleasure in any praise bestowed upon me, on the 
contrary, I will despise it as bestowed on one who 
does not deserve it. I will never excuse myself when 
corrected or blamed, much less throw the blame 
upon others.” To secure peace of mind under all 
circumstances, he wrote, “I will receive all things 
from the hand of God as sent for my welfare. I 
will resign myself to everything that happens, be it 
great or small. I will imagine Jesus Himself saying 
to me, ‘It is I that wish it to happen thus’ and I 
will say ‘Thy will be done.’ ” His life is full of 
such generous written resolutions, and we may not 
doubt that they were not only formed and written, 
but followed to the letter. Why did a saint write 
so many if he did not find the practice of great 
value? In the life of St. Gerard we find similar 
writings. Concerning recreation he wrote, “I will 
never speak of myself, either good or evil, I will 




STANDARD-PRACTICE INSTRUCTIONS 105 


never allude to my neighbor’s defects even in a 
joke, but I will always excuse my fellow religious.” 
St. Teresa tells us, “All that God requires of us is 
a good resolution and He will do the rest Himself, 
for He generously assists all souls, even the most 
guilty, who devote themselves to His love.” 

Such written standard-practice instructions con¬ 
vey to us in definite, concrete, and practical form 
the results of the study, thought, experience, and 
observation of others. They crystallize and make 
practical the results of our own study, thought, and 
experience; aid us in standardizing our mental con¬ 
ditions and operations, especially our mental atti¬ 
tude toward our work and advancement; prevent 
our losing what we have achieved and serve as an 
impetus to our progress. 









PART II 


MORAL PRINCIPLES OF 
EFFICIENCY 































a 















































I 


IDEALS 



Chapter I 
IDEALS 


S 'N Part One we treated of the seven 
practical principles of efficiency used by 
the business men of the world to secure 
their desires, and we applied them to 
our spiritual life. In Part Two we shall study the 
six moral principles of efficiency. 

It is hoped that from the very beginning of your 
entry on the way of perfection, you had in mind a 
clear and definite aim or purpose. If you had, your 
progress has been certain and sure. You have been 
able thereby to establish standards of virtue, de¬ 
spatch your resolutions, standardize your spiritual 
condition and operations, and write or read stand¬ 
ard-practice instructions with that purpose or ideal 
in view. An engineer who lays out sections of a 
road with no thought as to whether they will help 
him reach his destination or not, would be subject 
to grave suspicion as to his sanity. So it seems al¬ 
most too obvious to mention that one who would 


hi 



112 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


attain, achieve, or acquire, must know definitely and 
clearly just what he wishes to do, be, or have. 

It is rare to find any one who has a fixed pur¬ 
pose about a matter so vitally important as the one 
chief thing for which we were created and toward 
which we should make everything else tend. Al¬ 
most every man will tell you he expects a life of 
happiness after death, but does he live according 
to that expectation? Has he a real purpose and 
does he make everything else tend toward the reali¬ 
zation of that hope? “A vessel that sails for no 
particular port reaches any port only by the rarest 
accident.” 

“Knowledge of what you want and whither you 
are going crystallizes as an ideal.” Ideals are gen¬ 
erally divided into three classes: first, ultimate or 
major ideals; second, proximate or minor ideals; 
third, lateral ideals. The major ideal is the object, 
the great central aim of life. Everything great that 
was ever accomplished existed first of all as an ideal 
in some one’s mind. Every soul that has reached 
sanctity had a definite purpose, the ideal of perfec¬ 
tion in mind. But poor human nature has a ten¬ 
dency to drift. You cannot do anything with a 
ship that is drifting, it is simply beaten and tossed 
by the waves of the sea; but steer it and you may 
go where you will. “A real purpose organizes the 




IDEALS 


113 

elements of our lives for effective action. . . . The 
mind, heart, soul of man is nothing more than a 
confused heap of thoughts and wishes, impulses, and 
desires, until by the power of purpose all these are 
brought into unity and made effective in their thrust 
toward some worthy fulfillment.” 

We, Christians or religious, as we are, have an 
ideal which is the following of Christ. But do we 
bring this home to ourselves? Do we by the use of 
examens, meditations, etc., strive to find out how 
far we are from our ideal and what we are doing to 
make ourselves other Christs? We must know 
where we are going and what we want, so that we 
can make every thought, word, and act, every power 
of mind and body, every moment of time, all the 
influence or assistance of others, conspire to make 
us more like our Divine Master. Do I keep Him 
constantly before me and do I study and pray to 
know Him more intimately? 

Minor or proximate ideals are always fixed with 
reference to the major dr ultimate ideal. They are 
mental conceptions of what is most desirable in 
order to realize the ultimate or major ideal. These 
minor ideals refer to every phase of life, to our 
every thought, word, or act; but in too many cases 
our minor ideals are utterly incompatible with our 
major. Take for example the man whose ultimate 




114 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


ideal is to become a great singer. Among his minor 
ideals should be a strong, healthy, enduring body, 
but instead, in many instances, his minor ideal with 
reference to his body is to derive as much pleasure 
as possible from the indulgence of its appetites and 
passions. What becomes of the ultimate ideal? The 
answer is only too clear. Since our major ideal is 
the following of Christ, our minor ideals should be 
to use the means He has given us to lead to such 
a perfection, which are obedience to the Command¬ 
ments of God and of His Church, the fulfillment of 
the counsels, and the observance of the rule. Also 
among our minor ideals we find the subjugation of 
our passions to reason and to faith, by which our 
evil inclinations are subdued. Yet how few of us 
are not swayed by passion? Every time we submit 
to sin or to any voluntary fault, our minor ideal 
conflicts with our major and utterly ruins all pros¬ 
pects of its attainment. Yes, we are to trace the 
footsteps of our Redeemer and how we cringe under 
blame or humiliation even though we richly deserve 
it! As for accepting blame for another, our whole 
nature revolts and we are up in arms and have ex¬ 
cused ourselves in a dozen different ways before we 
are really conscious of it. We would be poor with 
Jesus yet have all the comforts of life, and if our 
food or lodging does not suit us we send forth a 




IDEALS 


IIS 

volley of complaints. “O my God, I love Thee with 
my whole heart,” we say one minute and the next 
we are wounding the feelings of a fellow religious by 
our uncharitable manner. Our major ideal is to 
please the Heart of Jesus. We hear the voice from 
the Tabernacle, “My desire is to be with the chil¬ 
dren of men,” yet we remain away from Holy Com¬ 
munion because we do not feel that we are worthy 
to receive Him, as if time would make us more so. 
We profess to live for God alone and at the least 
sign of contempt from a supposed friend we are 
plunged into a state of melancholy. Too frequently, 
we are our own ideal, — our own idol before which 
we keep incense perpetually burning, the incense of 
our self-love, self-will, or some other form of self- 
indulgence. 

We wonder sometimes why our novitiates are 
partially empty or why more vocations are not 
found today. May we not look to our own lives 
to find the cause? Do not the people in the world 
know our major ideal, yet see an inconsistency in 
our lives? Our minor ideals are at variance with 
our major and this repulses rather than attracts 
souls to follow our example. Only a few such dis¬ 
cordant religious in a community may be cause 
enough for the Holy Ghost to withdraw His grace 
from the novitiate. It is only by keeping our ulti- 




Il6 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


mate ideal clearly and constantly in mind and by 
thoughtful and prayerful meditation on it and the 
relation of all minor ideals to it, that we can make 
major and minor ideals harmonize. 

“Lateral ideals are objects of desire not directly 
influenced or conditioned by the major ideal. Abra¬ 
ham Lincoln’s major ideal' was to preserve the 
Union. One of his lateral ideals was to be a good 
father to his children. Lateral ideals are sometimes 
incompatible with the major ideal. Many a man 
has a great desire for wealth; but his ideals of dress, 
society, sport, and gaming bring him to ruin.” 
While the major and minor ideals of all religious 
are comparatively the same, their lateral ideals may 
be quite different. They refer to the works of a 
religious undertaken through obedience, but not di¬ 
rectly connected with the interior life of the soul. 
Some have the care of the sick, the aged, or infirm, 
some the education of youth in schools and colleges, 
others may be occupied in manual labor in the 
house, in the garden, or elsewhere. The vital point 
is not in the kind of work but in the ideal we set 
up for ourselves in that work. The teacher has one 
ideal, the nurse another, and the cook still another. 
Whatever they are, our ideals need to be studied; 
we must be sure, first, that we have them and that 
they are clear and definite; second, that minor and 




IDEALS 


117 

lateral ideals are in harmony with our major or 
ultimate ideals. 

When you have done this, when you consciously 
and constantly do it daily and hourly, — then effi¬ 
ciency or religious perfection becomes a habit that 
affects all your actions. It is not some sudden and 
great act. Begin at once. Whatever your task is 
today, from the moment you rise, until you retire 
at night, idealize it. Find out its secret. Why do 
I do it? For what purpose? Whither does the 
thought, word, or action tend? Will it make me 
more Christ-like? What is the good of all my la¬ 
bor and suffering in this world if at last that which 
I have given my life to attain, turns out a failure? 
“Children, have you any meat?” asked Jesus of the 
Apostles, who had been fishing all night in the sea 
of Tiberias. They answered Him, “No,” for that 
night they caught nothing. “Cast the net on the 
right side of the ship and you shall find,” came the 
omnipotent word, and lo! “they were not able to 
draw it for the multitude of fishes. ’ Cast the net 
of your daily thoughts, words, and actions on the 
right side of the ship of life, the side Jesus has 
pointed out to you in His life and teaching, your 
ideal of religious perfection, and eternity alone will 
reveal to you the multitude of your merits. 




II 

COMMON SENSE 





























. 




































































































Chapter II 


COMMON SENSE 



]HE study of ideals brings before us the 
most difficult of life’s problems: are the 
things we strive for truly worth all our 
effort? What will aid us to choose the 
proper standards, to ascertain whether or not we 
are making good use of our time? How can we 
know which things to plan, how to plan them, and 
how to select the conditions for standardization, 
what in our operations needs to be standardized and 
especially how to make our minor and lateral ideals 
harmonize with our major? Life is too short and 
too precious to make guess work of all these things, 
and no one can decide them for us. It is a work 
entirely personal. We need the assistance of a prac¬ 
tical guide. This, the God of nature has placed in 
our very being, a faculty whose office is to dis¬ 
tinguish and appreciate things and events according 
to their true and relative values, and this faculty we 
call common sense. 

In order to distinguish and appreciate values, 
good sound judgment is necessary, hence the first 



122 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


element in common sense is judgment. In fact, 
common sense necessitates unconscious and instinc¬ 
tive judgment, the result partly of natural gift but 
mainly of training and experience. A professional 
instructor has said, “Common sense is a short cut 
in reasoning. It is the ability to decide immedi¬ 
ately and unerringly upon the best course of action 
under given circumstances.” “The ability to de¬ 
cide” again tells us that judgment is the most 
necessary element in common sense. 

It is natural and essential for man to form these 
judgments. It cannot be natural and essential for 
man to form false judgments else universal doubt 
would follow. Therefore we can depend on the 
judgments of common sense. Though every mind 
cannot give a philosophical account of its own 
reasoning, every normal mind can reason sufficiently 
to form these judgments. But the truth is that 
nearly every normal man possesses better judgment 
than he uses. Some have naturally better judgment 
than others, and some have greater capacity of 
growth, but we can all use what we have, more fre¬ 
quently and to better purpose than we do. For a 
judgment to be sound, we must carefully consider 
and scrutinize all facts and truths, allow each its 
due weight and importance, and then reason logi¬ 
cally about them to a conclusion. 




COMMON SENSE 


123 


We may think we have and use good judgment 
but are we sure we avoid the pitfalls into which we 
may easily fall? Our judgments may be too hasty. 
We do not take time to consider all the facts. We 
may think we can cross a railroad track safely be¬ 
cause we do not see a train coming, but we no 
sooner reach the crossing than the mighty engine 
is surging toward us from around the curve. We 
looked for a train but we did not listen for it or 
the judgment of our safety would have been far 
different. Our judgments may be mistaken. This 
is caused by faulty observation. We frequently 
judge others by the way we think and feel, as when 
we look out through a red glass the whole world 
looks red. Our judgments are prejudiced when we 
allow too much or too little weight to some of the 
facts upon which the judgment is based, as when we 
refrain from reading a certain book because we 
have a dislike for the author. Or as Nathanael of old 
answered, when Philip told him they had found 
Him of Whom the law and the prophets had writ¬ 
ten, Jesus, the Son of Joseph of Nazareth, by say¬ 
ing, “Can any good come from Nazareth?” Again 
a proud soul sees only superhuman perfection in 
itself and nothing but vileness and corruption 
around it. We may be troubled and worried over 
something that appears as a mountain before us, 




124 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


but if we strip it of all imaginings and hold it up 
naked before our eyes, we find it but a mere trifle. 
Good judgments necessitate truth and nothing but 
the truth. Illogical judgments occur when the 
reasoning from facts is unsound. It sounds logical 
to say all good teachers love their pupils. Sister N. 
is not a good teacher. Therefore Sister N. does not 
love her pupils. But it is a fallacy. Her fault may 
be only in the imparting of knowledge. Rash judg¬ 
ments occur when the facts are uncertain; they have 
either insufficient or imaginary ground, though we 
may reason logically from them. 

Never can we hope to develop and use common 
sense until we have cured ourselves of these false 
judgments and until good sound judgment becomes 
automatic and instinctive. We can easily see from 
this that in order to develop this faculty our mind 
must work; if we allow it to lie dormant, we shall 
lapse, not only into all kinds of fallacies, but into 
many sins against justice and charity. Mental 
alertness is the keynote to good judgment. 

How much trouble and how many hasty judg¬ 
ments we would avoid if only we would “Stop, Look, 
and Listen!” Our minds were given to us to use. 
To avoid mistaken judgments, we should cultivate 
our powers of observation. There is a vast differ¬ 
ence between merely looking at a thing and really 




COMMON SENSE 


!25 


seeing it. Then we take many things for granted 
that should be tested and tried. Our own minds 
would rather that someone else would do the think¬ 
ing and we unthinkingly follow. It is well some¬ 
times to get away from ourselves, away from our 
own environment and take a bird’s eye view, as it 
were, of our little world from among the stars; to 
try to see ourselves as others see us and especially 
endeavor to view things as they appear from the 
judgment-seat of God. We can hold a candle light 
so close to our eye as to make it appear larger than 
the sun: much like a prejudiced judgment. The 
only thing to do is to hold the candle far enough 
away so as to view both candle and sun in their 
proper proportions. In curing ourselves of preju¬ 
diced judgments, it is often necessary to change our 
view entirely. We may have to give up our old way 
of looking at things. However, even then, we should 
make good judgment the basis of the compromise. 
Of all judgments the most despicable and most in¬ 
jurious to our spiritual life are rash judgments. 
These take on a very serious character and be¬ 
come very sinful when we indulge in them. A fair, 
just mind will never allow a judgment to be passed 
that is not founded on absolute facts. 

There is another element in common sense, not 
so fundamental as good judgment, yet no less nec- 




126 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


essary, and that is right feeling. Our feelings or 
emotions are mysterious, elusive, indefinable and 
yet, as we know, tremendously potent. Some feel¬ 
ings aid the mind in its action, as contentment, joy, 
ambition, hope; while others rather oppose it, as 
indifference, discontent, sadness. Our feelings or 
emotions have their seat in the sensible and rational 
appetite, which is that tendency in our being toward 
some good suitable to its nature. If the good de¬ 
sired is apprehended and proposed by the senses, we 
call it the sensible appetite; if by the intellect, we 
call it rational. These again take different forms. 
If the object be pleasing or repugnant in itself, it 
would be the object of what is called the concupis- 
cible appetite and would give rise to feelings of love 
or hatred, desire or aversion, joy or sadness, as the 
case might be. If the object be difficult to obtain, 
it is the object of the irascible appetite and feelings 
of hope or despair, courage, or fear, or anger result. 
When these become strong we call them passions. 
We can easily see how these emotions or passions, 
when left uncontrolled will interfere with our good 
judgment, and, on the contrary, if kept within rea¬ 
sonable limits, will prove a motive power for good. 

Man is duly bound to regulate the working of his 
appetites by the law of reason and still more so by 
the law of grace. He can avoid such objects as ex- 




COMMON SENSE 


127 


cite his emotions, and, by a powerful effort of his 
will, compel his appetites to a reluctant obedience. 
On the other hand, he can stimulate himself to the 
development of the right feelings by thinking or 
reading about some desired emotion, picturing him¬ 
self in the possession of it, performing acts which 
require it, and compelling himself to do things which 
demand it. Above all he can and should have re¬ 
course to supernatural assistance in the warfare he 
must wage against himself, in order to keep these 
powerful instruments within reasonable control. 
Good judgment is impossible to a person who is 
swayed by his emotions or who is not perfect master 
of his feelings. Remember they are powers placed 
in our nature with which to work good, but if we do 
not master them, they will master us and work to 
our utter ruin. It depends upon us, which will rule. 
Our self-government should be an absolute mon¬ 
archy. The mind enlightened by faith, is king, 
from whose authority there is no appeal. Observe 
any successful business man and you will see he is 
perfect master of himself. This control leaves his 
mind open to good judgment and hence he has a 
good stock of common sense. 

We are occupied about our Father’s business. We' 
have to use our minds just as a worldly business 
man does, so for us common sense is equally nec- 




128 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


essary. All we strive for must be measured and 
tested by the standard of common sense. But our 
life is a spiritual life, hence we must have a “super¬ 
natural common sense,” which opens the way to 
the accomplishment of our desires, and this is to 
be found in the four cardinal virtues, prudence, 
justice, fortitude, and temperance. Prudence en¬ 
lightens the mind to avoid hasty, mistaken, preju¬ 
diced, and rash judgments on the one hand and to 
form good judgments on the other; justice keeps 
these judgments within Chritsian limits; temperance 
regulates our sensible and rational appetites; and 
fortitude prevents mental and spiritual sluggishness 
and keeps the will ever ready to follow what is 
right and good. 

But the perfection of this supernatural common 
sense comes from the Holy Spirit, when He sends 
down on us His seven-fold gifts: wisdom, to teach 
us to relish and appreciate spiritual things at their 
real value and make us see which things of life are 
worth our striving; understanding, that we may 
have a deeper insight into the mysteries of our holy 
faith and form our judgments accordingly; counsel, 
to know how to regulate our moral life according 
to our conscience and the inspirations of divine 
grace, in other words to say and to do the right 
thing at the right time and in the right manner; 




COMMON SENSE 


I29 


knowledge, to understand temporal things and value 
them only in so far as they further the attainment 
of our ultimate ideal; fortitude, to stimulate our 
courage to persevere to the end; piety, to give us a 
holy alacrity in the service of our King; and finally, 
the fear of the Lord, to prevent our giving up the 
fight until the victory is won. 

Just as common sense in the ordinary acceptation 
of the term is implanted in the minds of all men, 
though it is dormant in a great many, so these 
seven-fold gifts of the Holy Spirit are given us in 
holy Baptism and Confirmation; but they are in 
bonds, as it were, on account of our infidelities. We, 
by our imperfections, place obstacles in their way; 
and we shall never know their true effects or real 
value until by prayer and continual self-denial, we 
have purified our hearts, not only from sin, but 
from every attachment to created things and have 
gained control over the affections of our hearts. 
Then we shall have a guide in all our actions. The 
Holy Spirit Himself will live and act in us. Then 
we shall be able to distinguish and appreciate the 
true value of things, for we shall weigh all in the 
scales of the Sanctuary. Then we shall be able to 
decide immediately and unerringly upon the best 
course of action under any circumstances, for in¬ 
fallible Wisdom and Truth will live and act in and 




130 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


through us; we shall find the solution of all of life’s 
most difficult problems and be sure that all we are 
striving for is worth not only our sincerest efforts, 
but even the greatest sacrifices. The Holy Spirit 
who reigns within us will make all seem light and 
easy and we will rejoice with the Apostles, that we 
are found worthy to suffer something in the Master’s 
cause . This is the quintessence of supernatural 


common sense. 




/ 


III 


COMPETENT COUNSEL 























































































Chapter III 



COMPETENT COUNSEL 

E?9LL knowledge is based on experience, 
either our own or that of others. Our 
own experience is a good teacher, but 
a very high priced one, so if we would 
make rapid progress in any line of pursuit, in the 
best, easiest, and quickest way, we must benefit by 
the experience of others. 

The student of efficiency uses competent counsel 
to learn what to do and how to do it. He knows 
that a life-time is too short to experiment and to 
learn all that is to be learned, so he avails himself 
of the results of other people’s experience and 
thereby develops the efficiency of the assignment of 
his own efforts. We save much time and other 
values by seeking counsel from others, learning 
lessons from our own experiences, studying nature 
and books. 

If one is on the alert for it, has a mind open to 
receive it and a will to act upon it, counsel may be 


133 







134 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


found almost anywhere and sometimes in the most 
unexpected places. Counselors are many, but not 
all are competent, and we must use a great deal of 
common sense in seeking competent counsel. You 
would not consult a sign-painter about art, nor a 
plumber about astronomy. Those who give us 
counsel should be successful themselves in the 
activity about which they give us advice. Besides 
success, counselors should have knowledge, experi¬ 
ence and training in that particular field. In the 
case of specialists and experts, allowance should be 
made for their narrow point of view, which is al¬ 
most a necessity to a specialist. Another standard 
for counsel is that it should be up-to-date. Every 
year sees important changes made in practically all 
lines of human activity. If our ideals are right and 
we are using good common sense, if we know what 
counsel we need and want, we cannot go wrong. 
There is more danger in neglecting counsel alto¬ 
gether than in choosing incompetent counsel. 

People are inefficient; they waste time, money 
and effort; they do things in the most wasteful, most 
difficult and slowest ways; they remain all their 
days in the ranks of mediocre, petty toil; they never 
use one-half their mental powers, never attain any 
great degree of usefulness; never achieve one-tenth 
of what they might, never acquire anything beyond 




COMPETENT COUNSEL 


135 


a scant living and largely because they refuse or 
neglect to avail themselves of competent counsel. 
Sometimes only a word is needed to set right all 
that has been wrong. The hardest task of the man, 
who, through study, research, and experiment finds 
new and better ways of doing things, is not to make 
his discoveries, but to get those who need them most 
to adopt them. 

Competent counsel may be secured by five dif¬ 
ferent methods: observation, consultation, instruc¬ 
tion, reading, and study. There are great men in 
the world doing great things but saying very little 
about it. 

“Lives of great men all remind us, 

We can make our lives sublime 
And departing leave behind us 
Footprints in the sands of time.” 

These men have the highest and best of advice, but 
it must be taken by observation. Watch how they 
do things. 

To profit by our own experience requires intelli¬ 
gent observation. If every time you suffer illness, 
failure, disappointment, defeat or any other experi¬ 
ence, you would sit down and calmly review the 
whole situation, you would soon be in a position to 




136 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


prevent its recurrence by eliminating the cause of 
such an experience. Studying our successes in like 
manner, we should soon learn to increase their 
number. 

Experts and specialists stand ready to give com¬ 
petent counsel in all affairs that require long years 
of study, experience, training, and unusual qualifi¬ 
cations. All that they have learned, all their skill, 
all their talent, all wisdom is available to every 
seeker of short-cuts. It is to be secured through 
consultation. Instruction is consultation prolonged 
and intensified. By it you not only use the knowl¬ 
edge and training of an expert but acquire more or 
less of it. By reading we can gain the concentrated 
results of centuries of the mental toil of many keen, 
unwearied minds. But reading is not enough. It 
takes study to acquire and verify facts and truths 
upon which sound, practical judgments are based. 
The four principal objects of study are: oneself, 
others, things, and books. As someone aptly says: 
“Reading gathers the jewels of knowledge. Study 
cuts and polishes them and places them in their 
setting. Reading surveys fields. Study cultivates 
them. Reading scans the mountain side and dis¬ 
covers the vein. Study digs out and refines the 
gold.” 

It is self-evident that one of the easiest ways of 




COMPETENT COUNSEL 


137 


finding how to do a thing or what to do, is to ask 
those who know, then take and make use of the 
counsel they give. Remember more is lost by not 
following competent counsel, though found in abun¬ 
dance, than because of incompetent counsel. Prog¬ 
ress in the spiritual life is impossible without it. It 
is as if we were placed in a boat on the sea of life 
without oars or sails, to drift hither and thither at 
the mercy of the winds. Competent counsel guides 
the ship as well as propels it. It implies all the 
means necessary to bring the boat safely to harbor. 
Holy Mother Church, God’s mouth-piece in our 
regard, is consequently our first and most compe¬ 
tent counselor. She it is who leads our souls and 
all souls to seek the waters of holy Baptism, the life¬ 
saving plank of Penance, and our soul’s sustenance 
in the Holy Eucharist. She it is, again, who gives 
us through her ministers the individual counsel we 
need in all doubts and troubles of conscience, guid¬ 
ance to greater perfection, and warning if we are 
going astray. Her voice rings out at all seasons of 
the year counseling her children as to what to do 
and how to do it. Another source of competent 
counsel is in the lives of the great saints of the 
Church, men and women of great accomplishment, 
yet frail as ourselves. Here we see human life in 
all its various conditions brought to superhuman 




138 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


perfection. We should learn, not what men thought 
of them, but what they have done, for then their 
example will speak to us as so many heavenly voices. 
When we see what others can do and have done, 
their lives will inspire us with new courage. St. 
Augustine testifies to this when he, overwhelmed 
with temptation to give up the good fight said, 
“What others have done, I, with God’s all-powerful 
grace, can do.” 

The lives of our immediate associates are also 
a source of competent counsel. We see some who 
grasp and make good every opportunity that comes 
their way, others whose lives are more or less a 
failure or, at least, show very little progress. Not 
that we look up to one and down on the other, but 
through them we learn to follow the good that 
brings about desirable results, and to avoid the pit- 
falls of the other. Oftentimes, because we have 
“eyes, and see not; ears, and hear not,” all lessons 
given are lost on us. 

Do we profit by our own experience? Our own 
experience should be one of the most competent 
counselors. Would we fall habitually into the same 
faults if we studied our leaks and losses or if we 
sought out the occasions that lead to them? If a 
salesman fails to sell, he studies his sales; he 
analyzes his customer and his situation so as to 




COMPETENT COUNSEL 


139 


know why his goods did not serve him. Why did 
he not convince him? Probably because he did 
not talk well enough. Why did he not talk well 
enough? Because he had not learned to talk force¬ 
fully. Why? Because he did not have time. Why 
did he let other things interfere with the things to 
be learned to make business a success? 

This kind of analysis, made even more definite 
and concrete, is what is absolutely necessary if we 
would gain by our own experience. You may fly 
into a passion of anger. Why? Because you were 
insulted. Why did such a remark insult you? Be¬ 
cause of your vanity, and you are so vain because 
you do not judge yourself properly. Probably you 
are false, and again, why? Because you have not 
studied your own interior and have not compared it 
with your ideal. You have not been serious in your 
business deal with yourself. Now, it is time to be¬ 
gin. Put yourself down where you belong and no one 
can insult you. If you are in the lowest place, no 
one can put you lower. How much nearer our goal we 
would be if we never repeated our mistakes! This 
we should be if we made the proper use of them. 

Books are a source of competent counsel, and this 
is why our rules provide for daily spiritual reading. 
Old truths are kept ever fresh in our minds and new 
things are constantly brought before us. In order 




140 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


to draw the most benefit from our readings, even 
though they do not bear directly on spirituality, is 
to make them all a spiritual reading. We can see 
God’s hand in the workings of all human activities 
if we have an eye for it. We can hear the voice of 
God in every word we read in the book, if our ear 
is trained to hear it. This spiritual interpretation 
of all that we read gives us the flower, with its per¬ 
fume, of the knowledge to be conveyed and in this 
way all books become for us sources of prudent and 
competent counsel in our spiritual efficiency. 

From the voices of nature we receive most beauti¬ 
ful, constant, and competent counsel. Nature is 
but another word for God. Each leaf, each flower, 
each sparkling drop of dew or rain is but a word in 
the book of nature from which the saints read, 
“God.” Thomas a Kempis tells us: “If only thy 
heart were right then every created thing would be 
to thee a mirror of life and a book of holy teaching. 
There is no creature so little and so vile, that it 
showeth not forth the goodness of God.” — Bk. II, 
ch. 4 . 

The wonderful instinct we see in the birds and 
animals, which seems as if they must possess intel¬ 
lect, for they often show more sense than human 
beings, is nothing but the Divine Reason of the 
Creator working through these creatures, as St. 




COMPETENT COUNSEL 


141 


Augustine explains. The order of the heavenly 
bodies, of the seasons, and of nature in general is 
a constant voice reminding man that “Order is 
Heaven’s first law.” 

Listen to the lesson of the simple honey bee: 
“What dost thou, fragile, graceful little bee, among 
the flowers, opening to thee their calyxes, seeming to 
invite thee? The sun is resplendent in the heavens, 
but its burning rays arrest not thy insatiable labor. 
The flower thou dost light upon withers not ’neath 
the touch of thy wing, and its delicate stem bends 
not ’neath the weight of thy airy form. Why this 
incessant toil?” “I gather from the flowers double 
riches. One the sweet and odorous honey to refresh 
the lips of childhood; the other the white , pure wax 
which is to be slowly consumed in loving homage 
before the altars of Jesus and of Mary. Child, the 
house which shelters thee is like the field where I 
labor. The lessons and examples of those about 
thee are the flowers, whence, like me, thou canst 
draw nourishment. Work, work without repose 
while it is yet the spring-time of life. Later, alas! 
thou wilt no longer find hearts that open at thy ap¬ 
proach to give thee treasures like those of thy pres¬ 
ent companions. And of the lessons which thou 
dost gather, make thou two parts: one for thy com¬ 
panions, benevolence and amiability; the other for 




142 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


Jesus and Mary, innocence and prayer.” — Golden 
Sands. 

St. Ignatius was often seen to rise from the most 
trifling things to God, who is mighty in the least; 
the sight of a little plant, a single leaf or fruit, 
a worm or an insect, would raise him in a moment 
above the heavens. St. Paul of the Cross was wont 
to cry out to his companions on passing through a 
wood, “Oh, do you not hear how these trees and 
leaves are crying out, ‘Love God, love God!’ ” He 
was often observed when walking in the fields, 
especially during the spring season, to gaze earnestly 
at the flowers as he went along and to touch them 
with his stick, saying, “Hold your tongues! Hold 
your tongues!” He used to tell his religious that 
the flowers were always calling upon them to lift 
up their hearts in love and adoration toward their 
heavenly Creator. Raymond de Lully was a man 
of high lineage, but leaving his distinguished post 
at court, he went into solitude to devote himself to 
the service of God. There his heart became in¬ 
flamed with divine love and all nature was to him 
a heavenly counselor, for if he gazed on the sun by 
day or the stars by night, if he turned to the fields 
or woods, everything seemed to invite him to the 
love of God. The chirping of the birds, the mur¬ 
muring of the fountains, the whispering of the 




COMPETENT COUNSEL 


M3 


winds, were for him so many voices exhorting him to 
love and serve God. St. Francis de Sales gave whole 
conferences to religious on the laws and ways of 
the little doves. The “Little Flower” says, “All 
nature charmed me and lifted up my soul to 
Heaven.” 

Nature is full of counsel for those who will take 
it. But besides these natural counselors, we must 
never forget that there is a world of supernatural 
counselors. The Holy Spirit, first of all, guides our 
souls, by His divine inspirations to sanctity. Then 
Mary, Our Lady of Good Counsel, should be our 
refuge in all doubts. 

O Virgin Mother, Lady of Good Counsel! 

Sweetest picture artist ever drew 
In all doubts I fly to thee for guidance — 

Mother, tell me, what am I to do? 

By thy face to Jesus’ face inclining, 

Sheltered safely ’neath thy mantle blue; 

By His little arms around thee twining, 

Mother, tell me, what am I to do? 

By the light within thy dear eyes dwelling 
By the tears that dim their lustre too, 

By the story that these tears are telling, 

Mother, tell me, what am I to do? 




144 EFFICIENCY IN the spiritual life 


Life, alas! is often dark and dreary, 

Cheating shadows hide the truth from view 
When my soul is most perplexed and weary, 
Mother, tell me, what am I to do? 

See my hopes in fragile vessel tossing; 

Be the pilot of that trembling crew; 

Guide me safely o’er the dangerous crossing 
Mother, tell me, what am l to do? 

Should I ever, willfully forgetting, 

Fail to pay my God His homage due; 

Should 1 sin, and live without regretting, 
Mother, tell me, what am I to do? 

Stir my heart, while gazing on thy features, 
With the old, old story, ever new — 

How Our Lord has loved His sinful creatures; 
Mother, tell me, what am I to do? 

Plead my cause, for what can He refuse thee? 

Get me back His saving grace anew. 

Ah! I know thou dost not wish to lose me — 
Mother, tell me, what am I to do? 

Thus alike when needful sorrows chasten, 

As amid joy’s visits fair and few, 

To thy shrine with loving trust I hasten — 
Mother, tell me, what am I to do? 




COMPETENT COUNSEL 


145 


Be of all my friends the best and dearest — 

O my counsellor, sincere and true! 

Let thy voice sound always first and clearest 
Mothery tell me, what am I to do? 

In thy guidance tranquilly reposing, 

Now I face my toils and cares anew; 

All through life, and at its awful closing, 

Mother, tell me, what am I to do? 

Sister Mary Stanislaus McCarthy 

Our guardian angels are ever at our side, whisper¬ 
ing advice at all critical moments. Are our ears 
attuned to hear the music of their voices? But our 
nearest counselor is the voice of conscience. It is 
possible not to hear it, but it is not possible to kill 
it. We may stifle, or stun it, but go where we will, 
do what we may, the tiny voice will make itself 
heard despite all we do to still it. The eternal 
decree of our judgment will be passed according to 
our fidelity in having followed the voice of con¬ 
science and by nothing else. It never errs because 
it is God’s voice in our souls. Woe to us, then, if 
we heed not its gentle call! Should we rather follow 
the common enemy of all mankind who hath desired 
us that he may sift us like wheat? He hides himself 
under the most charming appearances that he may 




146 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


cast the seed of wicked thoughts and desires into 
our hearts. He will endeavor to make us believe 
his counsels are most competent, but we can easily 
detect his machinations if we measure them by our 
standard and find out if their ultimate end is to 
fulfill the holy will of God or to please ourselves. 
Wherever self is introduced, beware! You are 
walking on thin ice. Without the use of competent 
counsel we ever remain infants in the spiritual life. 
Efficiency, through competent counsel, finds and 
takes. That means action. 

Our memories are not infallible and consequently 
we need constant reminders to keep us on the right 
path, not only in serious doubts and ignorance, but 
in matters of every-day life. Our field of experience 
is comparatively small, so we must profit by the 
experience of others, always remembering the key 
note of success is to find and take. Act!! “Carpe 
diem,” “Seize the opportunity.” We must use 
the counsel we obtain by experience, books, nature 
and most of all by our spiritual counselors. Then 
we are using the best and surest means to make 
rapid progress toward the realization of our 
standard. 




IV 

DISCIPLINE 










































































Chapter IV 


DISCIPLINE 

E have come to the eleventh principle 
of efficiency, namely discipline, which 
puts in motion the whole mechanism 
of our progress. The application of 
the foregoing principles is no easy task. It may be 
easy to maintain standards for a few hours, but it 
is desperately hard to maintain them hour after hour 
and week after week, and to maintain upon oneself a 
tight rein of unfailing action in conformity with 
definite laws and principles. It takes a superior 
order of will-power to do this kind of hard work. 

In reading over these principles we did not learn 
anything new, but our knowledge has been crystal¬ 
lized and put in definite form. The great universal 
cause of inefficiency is not ignorance, but failure 
to use the knowledge possessed. What is the reason 
for this? The reason is that the will has not been 
trained to follow the dictates of the mind. You 
may ask, what will train this will of mine? Noth¬ 
ing but quick, thorough, and effectual discipline. 



149 






150 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


Discipline is the penalty inflicted for failure to 
act in conformity with law. Nature begins her 
discipline as soon as we violate one of her laws, as, 
by overeating our health at once begins to decline. 
If we touch a red-hot iron we are punished at once 
and very effectually. We will not conflict with such 
a law a second time. Nature punishes by elimina¬ 
tion. If we violate the laws of health, she begins 
without delay this slow eliminating process. The 
hot iron begins at once to burn away the flesh of the 
hand that touched it. The lazy, disorderly, un¬ 
clean, careless, or disagreeable person begins at 
once to lose moral or physical health. Death itself 
is a punishment inflicted by Almighty God for non¬ 
conformity with His law. But this work of punish¬ 
ment is comparatively slow, oftentimes obscure and 
cannot easily be traced to its real cause; hence we 
fail to learn or profit by it until it is too late. Self- 
discipline, however, can be made effectual. In fact, 
without it we can do nothing toward the mainte¬ 
nance of our standards and the realization of our 
ideals. 

To make it effectual we must inflict pen¬ 
alties on ourselves or take measures to bring 
home to ourselves immediately, clearly, and 
vividly the penalty nature herself inflicts for 
failure to act in conformity with law, namely elimi- 




DISCIPLINE 


151 - 

nation. But above all we should think of the pun¬ 
ishment the All-holy Judge inflicts on the unfaith¬ 
ful servant. He too, will punish by elimination, 
“Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire. ,, 
“Because thou art neither hot nor cold, I will begin 
to vomit thee out of my mouth.” Divine discipline 
is very severe and unless we begin the process our¬ 
selves, we will learn our lesson, yes, only too well, 
but to our eternal disgrace. We must learn it now 
while we have time, and cast from our minds and 
hearts, from our very lives, everything contrary to 
divine law. 

Discipline comes from the Latin word “discere,” 
meaning to learn. So the penalties we impose upon 
ourselves, the penances we perform must be such 
as to make us learn how to conform our will to law. 
This is the main idea of punishment — to teach ac¬ 
tion in conformity with law. 

It is the function of the will to control action. 
We discipline ourselves, therefore, by training the 
will. But the will acts only in response to motives. 
The motive is the reason for an act, and the will 
follows any motive that is apprehended by the in¬ 
tellect as good, whether to please the body or delight 
the mind. The will is a blind power and follows the 
mind. Action controlled by the will is called volun¬ 
tary action which shows us that if our motives are 




152 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


really good, not blinded by passion, prejudices, or 
some vice, all our otherwise indifferent actions can 
be made good. 

A very fortunate element, namely habit, enables 
us by drill and practice, to pass from great effort 
with small result to small effort with great result. 
The secret, then, is to determine sound reasons or 
motives for our actions, to arouse strong emotions 
demanding action and then to practice and drill 
ourselves until it becomes an easy habit. 

A religious, whose standard is God’s holy will, 
whose major ideal is Christ Crucified, will have the 
highest and purest motives for his actions; for the 
noblest use man can make of his free will is to sub¬ 
mit it to that of his Creator, and the noblest motive 
of any life is to fashion it after the adorable life 
of the Son of God. But we must go into details. 
Our general motives may be good and we think all 
is for God but it is so easy to be deceived and allow 
that hydra-headed self-love to insinuate itself into 
our holiest actions. We cannot be too much on our 
guard and should keep an eye constantly turned 
inward, as it were, to see if our motives are pure. 

The application of our first principles will help 
us. Our examen, meditation, reading, counsel — all 
help to perfect our motives. Then we must arouse 
our emotions and such affections as are guided by 




DISCIPLINE 


153 


right reason and faith and suited to our state in 
life. Our hearts were made to love. We are always 
loving something or someone. This is our strong¬ 
hold, provided these affections are properly guided. 
As religious, who have forsaken the world, all our 
heart’s affections must be centered in God and in 
the spreading of His divine kingdom on earth. But 
since we ever remain weak human beings, subject 
to the laws of the gravitation of our sinful nature, 
we have to use continual watchfulness over our 
minds and hearts, lest they be attached to earth and 
fail to fulfill their noble destiny which is no other 
than to guide our will to correct action. 

What a consolation it is that conscious repetition 
of good acts forms habits of virtue! We know that 
no one can be termed virtuous unless his good ac¬ 
tions have become habitual. Discipline will do this 
for us. It trains the will in two ways: first by means 
of penalties, penances, if you will, for infraction of 
law, arousing emotions demanding action; second, 
by drill and practice, securing easy and efficient ac¬ 
tion. We are interested in self-discipline, therefore 
we must devise for ourselves penalties for actions 
contrary to our plans, schedules, competent counsel, 
etc. Unless we inflict these punishments ourselves, 
we shall fail to reach our standard and the inexo¬ 
rable justice of God, either in the everlasting pains 




154 EFFICIENCY in the spiritual life 


of hell or the slow, relentless fires of purgatory, will 
demand the glory our souls were created to give. 

I entered religion with the purpose of becoming 
a saint and what is preventing the attainment of 
that goal? Am I training my will by the use of 
penance and mortification? The day I touched a 
hot iron I learned a lesson never to be forgotten. 
That violation of a law of nature received an im¬ 
mediate and effectual punishment, for it taught me 
to leave hot irons alone. Self-discipline has the 
same beneficial result. 

We saw that nature punished by elimination. For 
us, this too is most effectual, since we must put 
away, we must eliminate everything in our lives that 
is not supernatural. Sin is the first and only evil. 
Do away with it. Your inclinations are evil. Check 
them by acting contrary to them. Certain persons, 
places, or books are dangerous for you. Stay away. 
Eliminate them without mercy from your life. This 
is following the command of Our Lord, “If thy eye 
scandalize thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee.” 
Matt, xviii. 9. These are the most effectual pen¬ 
alties because they not only burn away the dross 
of past sin by the pain they cause, but put us at 
once in a state of greater purity of heart and ca¬ 
pacity for union with God. Drill and practice will 
finally establish in us habits of virtue. 




DISCIPLINE 


155 


Let us look for a moment into the life of an un¬ 
disciplined religious and what do we see? The per¬ 
sonification of tepidity. We wonder that such a 
one could ever exist. God grant it may not be so. 
First of all, if she has any ideals they are vague. She 
prefers the standard of her own will to that of God. 
She scarcely ever thinks of her particular examen 
because she has given up marking it; hence she 
does not follow the principle of keeping records. 
Having no ideal, no worthy standard, she does not 
plan or meditate. She is thus a creature of circum¬ 
stance, blown hither and thither on the winds of 
passion or the temptations of the evil one, and she 
is blind to the snares that are being laid for her 
utter ruin. She fails to despatch because she is 
not punctual in rising and makes her morning ex¬ 
ercises in a careless or procrastinating manner. The 
condition of her conscience is very deplorable be¬ 
cause she takes little care to purify it. She sees her 
interior but dimly and loses merit by a neglect of 
purity of intention. The duties of her office are 
performed in an indifferent, careless manner, and 
prayer for her is mere mechanical routine. She 
shows no interest in the lives of the saints and if 
any one offers her good counsel, she will not listen 
to or follow the advice. She fails to note experi¬ 
ences that might help her spiritual progress such as 




156 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


retreats, sermons, etc. Her judgments have become 
hasty, critical, and prejudiced; and last of all, she 
is indifferent to a conversion of heart; she has be¬ 
come stagnant and if she will ever rise from such 
a state it will take the dynamite of God’s holy grace 
to blast her hard heart and cause a new spring of life 
to flow, a life of self-discipline, a life of mortifica¬ 
tion. 

Now look at the disciplined religious — the fer¬ 
vent soul striving to subject nature to grace and de¬ 
velop within herself a new life in Christ. “Unless 
you do penance, you shall all likewise perish,” says 
our Divine Lord. The good religious inflicts pen¬ 
alties on herself for action contrary to law. She 
begins the process of elimination of which we read 
and she eliminates sin from her mind and heart; she 
removes all evil thoughts and affections, all desires 
contrary to the law of her heavenly Spouse; she 
eliminates self wherever she detects its foul work¬ 
ings. She does this, by keeping a reliable record in 
the practice of the particular examen, never allow¬ 
ing a day to pass without marking definitely at noon 
and in the evening each failure to conform to her 
standard. In the morning she rises promptly, and 
in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the 
Holy Ghost, immediately offers her body and soul, 
her thoughts, words, actions, and sufferings as a 




DISCIPLINE 


157 


burnt offering to God. She makes her spiritual ex¬ 
ercises before breakfast with intense fervor and 
thus begins the day as a devoted servant of Christ. 
She is prompt in despatching and uses common 
sense because she weighs all with a calm, unbiased, 
judicial mind. She takes advantage of competent 
counsel. In a word her life is so harmonious, that 
like a well-trained orchestra which produces beauti¬ 
ful strains of music, it delights the whole heavenly 
court. There is no way for a person to become as 
virtuous as this except by such long continued drill 
and practice that it becomes automatic, so to speak, 
and thus the “yoke becomes sweet and the burden 
light.” 

We have seen something of the nature of disci¬ 
pline, the sad fate of one who is undisciplined, and 
the advantages of the other who conforms action to 
principle. But this knowledge will not discipline 
me. I must discipline myself. I must mortify my¬ 
self in all things that are contrary to the rules of 
perfection. I must drill myself into obedience and 
when I have begun to act in conformity with law, 
persevere. 

Practice, practice, practice, drill, drill, drill. 

To bring it home more clearly, I will impose a 
fine of some kind upon myself. If, for instance, I 
have been uncharitable to some one, I will say some 




158 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


very earnest prayers for that soul every day for a 
week, and force myself to be especially kind when 
an occasion offers. For sloth, I will confine myself 
to some hard task. As for faults of vanity, self-in¬ 
dulgence and the like, restrict my pleasures, cause 
myself some feeling of shame, some humiliation, 
compel myself to be silent when unjustly accused, 
deprive myself of some dainty, or restrain all curi¬ 
osity even the most innocent. I must do something 
that really hurts or it will not be effectual. Some 
of us are very dull when it comes to learning lessons 
of virtue especially when they go against our nature. 
Another effectual mortification is to force oneself to 
bear with the annoyances and painful circumstances 
of every-day life. We may have some pet aversion, 
as the creaking of a door, the rattling of paper, or 
the disagreeable manner of some companion with 
whom we live. Whatever it is, we can increase our 
merit, by compelling ourselves to endure it calmly. 
The Little Flower of Jesus tells us of an experience 
of this kind: “During prayer I was for a long time 
not far from a Sister who did not cease rattling 
either her rosary or I do not know what else. Per¬ 
haps I alone heard it, for I have very keen hearing, 
but to describe the annoyance that I felt from it 
would be impossible. How I wanted to turn my 
head and give the culprit a look to make her stop 




DISCIPLINE 


159 


the noise! But at the bottom of my heart I felt 
that it would be better to suffer it patiently, first for 
the love of God, and then also in order to avoid giv¬ 
ing her pain.” Again she writes to the Mother 
Prioress: “I remember that when I was a postulant 
I had sometimes such violent temptations to gratify 
myself and to seek some drop of comfort that I was 
obliged to pass quickly before your cell and to cling 
to the banisters so as not to turn back. There came 
to my mind quite a number of permissions to ask 
for, a thousand pretexts to give a reason for my 
desire and to satisfy it. How glad I am now that 
I denied myself from the very beginning of my re¬ 
ligious life!” The saints knew so well how to find 
and practice these little mortifications and they 
never let one opportunity slip by without taking 
advantage of it. 

Sometimes we may have a duty that is particu¬ 
larly distasteful. Instead of deferring it, we should 
discipline ourselves to do it promptly every time it 
comes our way. Punishment by confinement to 
hard labor is effectual as also restrictions in matters 
of food and drink, but they must be used with com¬ 
mon sense. St. Bernard warns us against impru¬ 
dence in this matter for he tells us that his health 
was greatly impaired by his excessive abstinence 
and he was broken down long before his time. St. 




l 60 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


Teresa says, “Sanitas tunc Sanctitas.” “Health, 
then Sanctity.” 

We, like the Little Flower, should make our mor¬ 
tifications consist in breaking our self-will, in keep¬ 
ing back a sharp retort, in rendering little services 
to those around us without setting any value upon 
them and in a thousand other little things of this 
kind. But this self-discipline is no easy task. If 
it were, all men would be strong, judicious, efficient, 
virtuous, in a word, saints. He only who keeps a 
tight rein upon himself by sharp spurs will obtain 
his desires. “He that ruleth his spirit is mightier 
than he that taketh a city.” But remember that by 
drill and practice in these fundamental principles 
we shall pass from great effort and little result to 
little effort and great result, and the grace of God 
will make the bitterest things sweet, if only we are 
laboring to confirm our will in all that is good. 







THE FAIR DEAL 






















































































Chapter V 


THE FAIR DEAL 



BUSINESS man who takes up the 
study of efficiency, does so for the 
purpose of securing for himself a 
fair equivalent for his time and ef¬ 
forts. He is seeking for himself a fair deal. 

Man was not created to be alone, for like a drop 
of water in the sea, each of us is touched and pressed 
on every side by other drops, charged with the same 
salt, lifted by the same breezes, swept along by the 
same tides, warmed or cooled by the same atmos¬ 
phere. A man’s every thought, every word, every 
act springs from and brings him into relationship 
with other men. We are dependent upon others for 
our necessities, conveniences, and comforts. Life 
is dark and hopeless unless many hands are 
stretched out to help us. We receive benefits long 
before we can give some compensation. This is 
the universal law of nature. We have probably ex¬ 
perienced the fact that it is more blessed to give 
than to receive, yet if we expect the fair deal from 
163 







164 efficiency in the spiritual life 


others, the only way to secure it is to give the fair 
deal. But fair dealing requires more than a good 
intention. It requires the support of all the pre¬ 
ceding principles of efficiency, and especially of 
common sense and discipline. Nine-tenths of all 
unfair dealing is the result of untrained wills and 
undisciplined minds. 

The fair deal is based upon the universal prin¬ 
ciple of equivalency. This principle operates so 
as to give to and exact from every individual, in 
rewards or punishments, in pleasure or pain, in 
values of every kind, and in the withholding of 
values, the precise equivalent of the contribution of 
that individual to the sum of good or evil. The 
idea is that of accurate balance. Some things in the 
world can not be valued in dollars and cents, nor 
measured by the yard or pound. You cannot meas¬ 
ure a mother’s love. The only equivalent you have 
to offer to other people for what you receive from 
them is service in some form. This cannot be meas¬ 
ured mathematically but has to be determined by 
an innate sense of justice. 

The standards of each one’s sense of justice differ 
greatly; whatever each has he should live up to it. 
But it is not enough that we should have an instinct 
of justice. It is not enough to desire or intend to be 
just. We must add to this, knowledge — knowledge 




THE FAIR DEAL 


165 

of the characters, conditions, needs and desires of 
others. We must use our imagination in order to 
foresee to a certain extent the results of a certain 
course of action upon others. We must have sym¬ 
pathy for others; put ourselves in their place. These 
three elements enter into every fair deal. As we 
give, so we receive; as we judge, we will be judged; 
as we deal, we will be dealt with. This principle 
not only exacts the fair deal from us, but will also 
give it in return. So the earnest worldly man 
studies. 

Now the spiritual life, too, is nothing other than a 
sort of commerce, an exchange between God and 
the soul. God gives that He may receive and re¬ 
ceives that He may give. God gives first; He gives 
us life, the vast universe for our home in time, and 
the grace and other means to earn a happy and 
blessed home in eternity. The first grace we re¬ 
ceived was a purely gratuitous gift, which none of 
us can merit. It is an article of faith, that for 
every supernatural act we must receive a special 
grace. Now we said God gives that He may receive. 
The fair deal requires an equivalency. What can 
the soul give in return for such favors? Her first 
duty is correspondence and fidelity. God gives first, 
she must follow; God asks something of her, she 
must generously give it. 




l66 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


Besides the blessing of existence and His ever 
present grace, God has given to us the gift of His 
Own Divine Son as Redeemer, Brother and Friend. 
But this was not enough for His infinitely loving 
heart and He went so far as to give the same Be¬ 
loved Son to be the food and nourishment of our 
souls. Could the omnipotence of God do more than 
this? God has given God. God has given all, — all 
that His infinite heart is capable of giving. And 
this Divine Son has given every drop of His most 
precious Blood as the pledge of His undying love 
for poor, fallen humanity. Now where is to be the 
equivalency? 

O God, what is man’s return? Ingratitude and 
sin — yes, this is man’s compensation. How cruelly 
unjust! The worst of men would not deal with his 
fellow man as unfairly as man deals with his God. 
He gives all. Will not man correspond? Does not 
such generosity exact, demand the fair deal? 

Man cannot add to the infinite happiness of God, 
yet this eternal fact does not release him from the 
law of compensation. He must give in proportion 
as he has received. God gave all first. Man must 
give all in return. The soul must give herself en¬ 
tirely to God; she must sacrifice to Him her tastes, 
her inclinations, her will, her interests; in one word 
she must give herself unreservedly to God, that He 




THE FAIR DEAL 


167 


may dispose of her every moment according to His 
own good pleasure. The Eternal Father has left His 
only begotten Son completely in the hands of man. 
The priests of the Church are His body-guard, and 
He has been given unreservedly to us as a Gift of 
purest love. Now we can see why man owes a 
debt that can only be paid by the sacrifice of every¬ 
thing nearest and dearest to him, even his very life 
should God ask it, and it should be offered to Him 
in the spirit of pure love and gratitude. Why do 
we not study day and night the infinite goodness and 
love of our Heavenly Father and strive to impress 
on our selfish minds and hearts the duty we 
have of giving to God a fair deal which can be 
done only by the exercise of the purest love, — 
by divine charity? 

But besides giving the fair deal to Almighty God, 
we owe it to our fellow-men. Worldly men base 
their fair deal on personal aggrandizement; we must 
base ours on supernatural love, on charity founded 
on faith. We all know how many forms love takes 
in the world; but no love is worthy of a Christian or 
religious unless it is supernatural; then, and then 
only can it truly be called charity, because charity 
is a theological virtue: God must be the object in 
one way or another. All men are God s creatures, 
God’s children, and loved as such by Him. We are 




l68 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFT 


not true to our Creator, if we do not love His works. 
We are bound by the fair deal to God, to give the 
fair deal to His children. The easiest, quickest, and 
best, the most efficient way of proving our love for 
God is by loving our fellow men for God’s sake. 
Just as the business man reckons all progress on 
fair intercourse with other men, so we can measure 
our progress in the love of God, our advancement 
in perfection by the charity we have for our neigh¬ 
bor. 

This supernatural fair deal has the same three 
elements as that of the efficient worldling; knowl¬ 
edge, imagination and sympathy. First of all we 
must study our fellow-men, our companions from a 
point of view set up by faith. We must study the 
image of God in them, the beautiful qualities of their 
souls and their noble destiny, and eliminate through 
the application of the principle of discipline every 
allusion to the poor human side of nature, except 
to pity and pray for them. Then we must use our 
imagination to picture the results of our actions in 
their regard. This will prevent our giving scandal 
or any other unfair deal. To lead another into or 
cause another to sin is certainly not a fair deal to 
him, to Almighty God, or to one’s own soul. And we 
must have sympathy. Oh, what a wonderful thing 
is sympathy! But it must be sympathy based on 




THE FAIR DEAL 


169 


common sense, coming from a disciplined mind and 
will, and supernatural in its object. Sympathy 
means to “suffer with,” “to feel with” its object. 
How the human heart craves for sympathy! It is 
not suffering one dreads so much as suffering alone. 
There is nothing blameworthy in this, for even 
Christ Himself sought to receive sympathy from the 
Apostles during His terrible agony in the Garden: 
“Could you not watch one hour with Me?” When 
they refused him, His Heavenly Father sent an angel 
to comfort the broken-hearted Savior. One of the 
greatest proofs of a loving heart is when one forgets 
himself, to “suffer with” a fellow creature. St. Paul 
had a truly sympathetic heart. “Who is weak, and 
I am not weak? Who is scandalized and I am not 
on fire?” II Cor. xi, 29. Moreover, he exhorts the 
Romans to “rejoice with them that rejoice; weep 
with them that weep.” Sympathy wins the hearts of 
men and if we wish to lead others to do right or if 
we are charged with the education of children or 
young people, the best way to secure their coopera¬ 
tion is by well-directed sympathy. We can direct 
their minds and hearts; we can develop all that is 
good in them; teach them how to eliminate what is 
evil and thus give them the fair deal. 

An efficiency engineer, very successful with 
workers, made this statement: “Men will not do 




170 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


what you ask them because it is easy, or right, or 
because of their pay. They will do what you ask 
them to do when they like you, and they will not 
like you unless you first like them.” St. Teresa, in 
her advice to her followers, showing them how to 
regulate their actions, writes, “Strive to gain all!” 
And to quote the great St. Paul again he writes to 
the Corinthians, chapter 9. 

“Whereas I was free as to all, I made myself the 
servant of all, that I might gain the more. 

“And I became to the Jews, a Jew, that I might 
gain the Jews. 

“To them that are under the law, as if I were 
under the law, ... To them that were with¬ 
out the law, as if 1 were without the law . . . 
that 1 might gain them that were without the 
law. 

“To the weak I became weak, that 1 might gain 
the weak.” 

And then those wonderful words, — 

“I became all things to all men, that I might save 
all!” This is the picture of true supernatural sym¬ 
pathy and the standard for us to measure up to in 
our fair deal. 

From the fact that we are social beings and there- 




THE FAIR DEAL 


171 

fore owe our neighbor the fair deal, we can readily 
see that one, who is truly courteous and has calm 
self-control and gracious manners, finds it easy to fill 
the place in the community in which he lives. We 
are undoubtedly working to overcome our faults, 
though perhaps not so diligently as we should, not 
only for our own soul’s sake, but also to enable us 
to fulfill our position successfully as far as others 
are concerned. We are bound to give edifica¬ 
tion and whether we will it or not, our lives 
leave an everlasting impression on those with whom 
we live. 

There are men and women in all walks of life 
who charm by their manner, their demeanor, their 
behavior, irrespective of dress or education, and it 
is this charm we should consciously cultivate, after 
understanding the laws which govern it. This is not 
vanity. The Savior of the world possessed an in¬ 
finite charm. Do you not recall how the multitudes 
followed Him for days without a morsel of food? 
Call it gentleness, amiability, or any virtue you wish, 
is there any asset of more powerful influence than 
this charm of manner? It can be developed and 
cultivated but must come from within. It cannot 
be pasted or painted on the outside. 

This charm of manner springs from four sources: 
first, justice; second, desire to serve; third, kindli- 




IJ2 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


ness; fourth, self-discipline. These sources are fa¬ 
miliar to us under the heads of justice, humility, 
fraternal charity, and mortification. 

Justice involves a keen recognition of the right 
of others. Uncouthness, selfishness, and inconsid¬ 
erateness,— all trample upon these rights, as do 
many of the more aggressive and violent faults. Yet 
we see persons who pretend to lead a spiritual life 
and who pay little heed to the claims of others. We 
may be perfectly just in our treatment of our asso¬ 
ciates but in a cold, exacting manner, a manner 
that repels, chills, and antagonizes, rather than 
draws, warms, and awakens friendliness. 

The business world is fast recognizing the fact 
that a desire to serve is the very heart of business 
building. Well, if this humble charity is the very 
heart of worldly business success, may we not con¬ 
sider it the very heart of our Heavenly Father’s busi¬ 
ness? This desire to serve after the example of 
Christ who “came not to be served but to serve,” 
is the virtue that gives genuine charm and leads to 
the highest success in drawing souls to God. 

Kindliness is the sunshine that warms and beauti¬ 
fies the stern rocks of justice. Justice, administered 
harshly or coldly, antagonizes, while justice, vital¬ 
ized with a true desire to serve and warmed by 
kindliness, makes friends even of those who must 




THE FAIR DEAL 


173 


be punished. You see business men sometimes 
whose kindliness and courtly dignity are so efficient 
that when they discharge an employee, as they are 
occasionally compelled to do, the man leaves the 
office feeling the warm glow of one who had received 
a favor. Now if these men do this for reasons of 
worldly advancement, what should we not do for 
the spread of the kingdom of Christ? 

That we may be just; that we may express in our 
manner a true desire to serve; that we may be 
kindly, we must discipline ourselves. It requires 
continual self-abnegation and constant mortifica¬ 
tion. In this world where we come into such close 
contact with others that they see us, hear us, and 
feel us, others have the right in all justice to de¬ 
mand that our effect upon their senses, so far as pos¬ 
sible, will be pleasing. Charity bears with others 
but takes care that others have nothing to bear from 
her. If we are truly humble we shall recognize the 
justice of the claims of others and we shall strive to 
meet it. The truly courteous, charming religious, 
though she may not be learned, will win more souls 
in one year by the fineness, keenness, and sensitive¬ 
ness of her own nature, by her consideration of the 
feelings of others and by her beautiful deference of 
manner, voice, facial expression, bearing, and dig¬ 
nity, in a word, by the pleasure she affords than 




174 EFFICIENCY in the spiritual life 


the profoundly learned religious who is crude and 
tactless will gain in a whole lifetime. 

We are all familiar with the heavenly charm of St. 
Francis de Sales, and we all should strive to possess 
this, so that our manner may be an irresistible mag¬ 
net to draw the souls of others. To know such a 
religious is not only to love her but to love God 
whom she serves and to strive to follow her ex¬ 
ample. 

Some souls seem to be born with this supernatural 
magnetism, but with the majority of us it must be 
cultivated and discipline must be self-administered. 
We must begin by making justice the ruling factor 
in all our dealings. It is a part of that common 
sense we spoke of and also involves a trained, dis¬ 
ciplined will. Then we must cultivate the spirit of 
service. This will lead us to careful thought and 
consideration of ways to serve. The true religious 
finds a thousand means of rendering service to 
others, little acts that need but slight effort and 
give great pleasure not only to those served, but to 
those who serve. These charming ways not only 
give pleasure but are very potent. We must study 
the likes and dislikes of others that we may know 
what to do to please them and what to avoid so as 
to cause them no pain. Sometimes a smile or a 
word of good cheer is all that is necessary to bring 




THE FAIR DEAL 


175 


courage and determination back to one who may 
be at the very verge of despair and surrender. Gen¬ 
erally unkindness comes from thoughtlessness, but 
this is no excuse. It is the old, old enemy, mental 
laziness, unwillingness to take the trouble. We must 
cultivate a dignity and reserve, which after all is 
only a mark of respect and deference to others. We 
should try to become kind, polite and sympathetic 
listeners. It augments the joy of a companion to 
have the rehearsal of his happiness fall on unselfish 
ears. So also it eases the pain of a heart over¬ 
charged with worry, anxiety or grief to know some 
one understands. Why refuse these little pleasures 
that cost us so little yet mean so much to those with 
whom we live! We must be intensely interested in 
those about us and in the things in which they are 
interested. Here it is again; “I became all things 
to all men.” The most successful salesman is the 
one who shows the most intelligent and most genuine 
interest in that in which the prospective customer is 
interested. We must cultivate poise, calmness, and 
self-control; cultivate a kind, calm, gentle tone of 
voice; a pleasant, friendly, kindly expression of 
face; a modest and dignified bearing; and, finally, 
an encouraging and inspiring language. What is 
most important is not only to rid oneself of saying 
things that offend and hurt, but to study to say the 




176 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


things that will help and uplift. Such words spoken 
at the proper time, are sometimes more powerful in 
helping a soul than the most eloquent sermon 
preached by the most learned doctor of the Church. 
The practice of these virtues is most important for 
the religious, especially in the world of today. We 
must cultivate not only our interior but also our 
exterior, not through a spirit of vanity, and not to 
the prejudice of our interior life, but in order to be 
more useful and powerful instruments in the Hand 
of Almighty God to save souls. When we have be¬ 
come so skilled in the practice of these social vir¬ 
tues as to be able to exercise them with such ease 
as to display no efforts and to let the sacrifices we 
make be known to God alone, then we are becoming 
true, spiritual artists. “Ars est celare artem ” “Art 
is to conceal art.” Our virtue will take on the 
beauty and simplicity as well as the perfection and 
magnificence of the works of Almighty God. Let 
us therefore “be blameless and sincere children of 
God, without reproof, in the midst of a crooked and 
perverse generation; among whom shine as lights 
in the world,” —St. Paul Phil. ii. 15. 

Studying thus the fair deal with our neighbor we 
must not forget that we owe no less a fair deal to 
ourselves. This is a subject we should ponder well. 
We must examen ourselves earnestly, sincerely, and 




THE FAIR DEAL 


177 


frankly to discover whether or not we are giving 
ourselves the fair deal. My salvation is a personal 
matter. No one, not even Almighty God Himself, 
can save my soul, without me. I have only one 
soul. I am placed in this world to work out its sal¬ 
vation. I will die but once and then the book of my 
life is closed forever. I can labor no more for God 
or heaven. While life lasts, I have my standards, 
my plans, my schedules, my ideals; but I am not 
giving my soul the fair deal if I allow any creature 
to interfere with their fulfillment or attainment. I 
must work out my own salvation. To do this one 
has to depend upon his mental powers and the senses 
of the body coupled with the grace of God. 

Do I give my mind the fair deal? As a man 
thinks so he is. I certainly am not fair if I allow 
my thoughts to run along dangerous lines, or if I 
fill my mind with frivolous, useless, and vain 
thoughts or spend my time in unprofitable stu^Jy 
or reading. Our minds were given us to elevate us 
to God through the study of His works and to direct 
our wills to correct action, not to be wasted on the 
petty or sinful objects of this world. 

The soul receives all her impressions through the 
senses of the body; they are the avenues through 
which she communicates with the world about her. 
Do I give my senses the fair deal, — my senses of 




178 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch? The eyes 
are the windows through which death may enter my 
soul. Do I allow them to rest on dangerous objects 
or do I, through effective discipline, check my nat¬ 
ural curiosity and make a holy use of this wonderful 
sense in the practice of religious modesty? Am I 
eager to hear worldly news and conversation? Do I 
listen to words or music that serves to draw me 
down to earth or causes havoc in my soul? Do I 
seek to hear the word of God and strive to become 
deaf to all that is sinful or imperfect? Do I seek to 
gratify my sense of smell by the use of worldly per¬ 
fumes? Or do I use it for the purpose God intended, 
to preserve the lungs from foul air, and if some 
pleasure comes to me through the sweet odor of a 
blooming flower or the like, do I at once raise my 
mind to God, the Creator and Author of all good? 
Do I give my sense of taste a fair deal? The prog¬ 
ress of many a soul is greatly retarded by too much 
delicacy in food and drink. One may overcome him¬ 
self almost to a heroic degree along other lines and 
still not be able to accept one dish at table unless 
suited to his personal taste. If we accept things, 
reasonably of course, as they are served us day 
after day, and do not allow ourselves to complain 
even interiorly, or wish for anything more; if we 
strive to keep our minds away from the subject of 




THE FAIR DEAL 


179 


food and if we do find some pleasure, at once refer 
it to God as St. Paul says “whether you eat or drink 
‘—do all for the glory of God,” we are practising 
virtue and giving this sense the fair deal. Do I 
give my sense of touch a fair deal? Educators say 
that the most valuable training of the mind comes 
not through the sense of sight or the sense of hear¬ 
ing, but through the sense of touch. Experiments 
have showrn that children who are taught to do 
things with their hands learn far more, learn far 
more rapidly, and learn what they acquire far better 
than those taught in any other way. Now, just as 
this sense is useful in the development of the mind, 
it is dangerous, most dangerous to the soul. A deli¬ 
cate conscience will fear and shun most carefully 
any pleasure, even that which is innocent in itself, 
that comes through this sense. It will distrust itself 
and never under any pretext whatsoever, seek any 
pleasure for the body or in the care it must give the 
body, unless dictated implicitly by the law of Al¬ 
mighty God. The fair deal here means strict pro¬ 
priety and a tight rein of stern discipline. 

We are also bound to give our body the fair deal. 
The command, “Thou shalt not kill,” binds us to 
preserve our health and take a reasonable care of 
the body. The body is the soul’s instrument and 
the temple of the Holy Ghost. 




l80 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


Know you not, that your members are the temple 
of the Holy Ghost, who is in you and whom 
you have from God; and you are not your 
own? 

For you are bought with a great price . Glorify 
and bear God in your body. 

St. Paul, Cor. 6 : 19, 20. 


Our body should be respected, not pampered; 
properly cared for, kept neat and clean as the dwell¬ 
ing place of God, not indulged for its own sake. 
We give it the fair deal if we check its disorderly 
demands and keep it under the soul’s absolute do¬ 
minion. If we gratify the carnal passions, our com¬ 
pensation will be destruction and eternal death. If 
we treat the body as the instrument given us by 
Almighty God to work out our salvation and as 
something destined to rise gloriously to eternal life 
on the last day, our compensation will be not only 
a peaceful heart and quiet mind but what we pur¬ 
pose, namely, the attainment of our last end. 

If we have thus learned how to give the fair deal 
to ourselves and through the application of the prin¬ 
ciple of discipline, have a good start in that direc¬ 
tion, we shall have little trouble in giving the fair 
deal to others and to our God and Father. Shakes¬ 
peare beautifully expresses this, 




THE FAIR DEAL 


181 


“To thine own self he true, 

And it must follow, as the night the day, 
Thou canst not then be false to any man” 

We might say, to God or man. We shall then be 
prepared to fulfill the injunction of the great 
Apostle: 

“Render to all men their dues. Tribute, to whom 
tribute is due: custom, to whom custom: fear 
to whom fear: honor, to whom honor” 

“Owe no man anything, but to love one another. 
For he that loveth his neighbor hath fulfilled 
the law.” 

“The love of our neighbor worketh no evil. Love 
therefore is the fulfilling of the law.” 

“Let us walk honestly as in the day.” 

Romans, xiii, 7-13. 


This is the fair deal. 






























































































































EFFICIENCY REWARD 




















































































. 
































































































I ■ ' 


























































































































Chapter VI 


EFFICIENCY REWARD 

E have come to the last of the thirteen 
principles of efficiency. We have fol¬ 
lowed them step by step as they are 
presented to students in the study of 
efficiency and now we can easily understand in what 
ways the “children of the world are wiser in their 
generation than the children of light,” and we have 
applied their wisdom to our own personal desires. 
The object of their efficiency is to obtain the de¬ 
sirable things of life; ours is to obtain the desirable 
things of eternity. We have studied faithfully up 
to this point. Like them we have kept our records. 
We understand the first twelve principles of effi¬ 
ciency as seen from a spiritual point of view. The 
most important part of the whole effort, however, 
still remains. We have, first, actually to apply to 
our own life and to the work of our sanctification 
the principles we have learned; and second, actually 
to achieve, attain, and acquire what we placed be¬ 
fore our minds in the beginning, namely: the perfect 
185 







l86 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


fulfillment of the holy will of God, and by the ac¬ 
complishment of this, to obtain eternal life. 

This is our goal. To win it, we established stand¬ 
ards, made and consulted records in the practice of 
our examen, followed a fixed schedule, despatched 
our work and resolutions, standardized the condi¬ 
tion of our conscience and good intentions, issued 
and followed written standard-practice instructions, 
set up ideals, developed and used common sense, 
sought competent counsel, disciplined ourselves and 
prepared to give to God, to our neighbor, and 
to ourselves the fair deal. This was a great under¬ 
taking. 

We know that the great difficulty does not lie in 
learning how to apply principles but in making 
the actual application. In studying discipline we 
were made to understand tljiat the great reason for 
this difficulty is chiefly an untrained will. This 
weak will is our sad inheritance. We are not respon¬ 
sible for that, but we are responsible for its develop¬ 
ment and training. We have found that one of the 
great motive powers for training the will is the in¬ 
fliction of penalties. This fear of punishment is a 
mighty factor, is truly the “beginning of wisdom.” 
However, it is only the beginning. It will draw us 
out of the depths up to the warm pleasant hillsides 
of a good life but it will never drive us to the 




EFFICIENCY REWARD 


IS? 


heights of virtue. Hope is the power that will do 
this — hope of a reward leads upward, ever up¬ 
ward. O blessed hope, straight from the heart of 
a merciful Father! 

Analyze your own mental and spiritual attitude. 
Go back for a moment over your own progress up 
to the present time. Is it not true that you were 
most efficient when you were most happy in your 
work? And were you not most happy when you 
were stimulated by hope or some reasonable ex¬ 
pectation of a reward? Discipline shows us the 
penalties for broken law; the efficiency reward must 
bring home to us clearly and vividly the benefits of 
action in conformity with law. 

We may take different views of this efficiency 
reward. Generally, it is life everlasting, but some 
motives for this hope are more perfect than others. 
The lowest degree is to seek our own eternal hap¬ 
piness, indeed a very good motive. Then we may 
wish to be with God, our Father, for all eternity; 
but if we are aiming at our true standard, namely, 
the perfect fulfillment of God’s holy will, we shall 
hope for celestial bliss only because it is God’s de¬ 
sign in the creation of our souls, for we were created 
for Him, for His glory , and incidentally, to be happy 
with Him forever in heaven. 

Well, you have your desire. You want eternal 




l88 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


life. The trouble is that either you have not de¬ 
termined this clearly and definitely in your own 
mind, or you do not want it intensely and zealously 
enough. Your feeling of desire for heaven is not 
strong enough to compel your will to energetic, 
effective, determined, and persistent action. “The 
kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence and only the 
violent bear it away.” It is yours if you will it, 
but you must pay the price. How are you to stim¬ 
ulate, arouse and intensify your desire? When you 
were a child you wanted a bicycle. At first the 
desire perhaps was a mild one. But what happened? 
You saw other children riding bicycles. You talked 
with them about their bicycles. You thought about 
bicycles a great deal. You secured catalogues of 
bicycles and studied them with great care. You 
learned to tell the different makes and models one 
from another. You decided upon your choice — 
the particular size, height, shape, the kind of grips, 
handle bars and other details and accessories. You 
pictured to yourself what you would do with a bicy¬ 
cle, where you would go with it, whom you would 
take with you, how fast you would ride, how you 
would care for it, and what the other boys and girls 
would think when they saw you riding it. You 
thought bicycle, you imagined bicycle, you dreamed 
bicycle, you talked bicycle until your desire became 




EFFICIENCY REWARD 


189 


so intense, so insistent, so imperious, that you were 
glad to pay almost any price in the way of effort in 
order to obtain it. 

In the same way we must hold ever before our 
mind’s eye, our efficiency reward until our hearts 
languish and sigh, with real homesickness for our 
true heavenly abode. The trouble with the ma¬ 
jority of us is that we weakly wish for things in¬ 
stead of strongly desiring them. The price of 
success is effort, and this effort must be stimulated 
by eager desire. It is not enough that we seek our 
reward, we must see that we obtain it. It speaks 
very poorly for a soul’s efforts to say, “Oh, I do not 
ever expect a high place in heaven. I will be satis¬ 
fied if I get through the gate.” This is the language 
of a lazy soul. There should not be any limit to 
the height of our aim. God is infinite and so are 
heavenly joys, and there should be no limit to our 
desire and efforts. Above all, this requires per- 
severence. It is the story of energetic souls who, 
despite their frequent falls, always rise again and 
push forward. Difficulties arise in the pathway of 
any one who is honestly seeking his desires. He 
encounters obstacles; he meets opposition; yes, 
and sometimes diabolical opposition. But those 
who are never daunted, are the only ones who 


wm. 




190 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


The heights by great men reached and kept 
Were not attained by sudden flight 
But they, while their companions slept, 

Were toiling upward in the night. 

LONGFELLOW. 

One of the greatest aids in the application of the 
principle of the efficiency reward is to review daily 
in our mind the details of the reward for which we 
hope. St. Aloysius judged everything in reference 
to eternity. “What will this avail for eternity?” he 
would ask himself. We must make sure that we 
really desire that for which we are striving. We 
must study the lives of those who have won the 
prize, the lives of that numerous army of saints, 
martyrs, confessors, virgins, — all of whom have 
lived and died for Christ and His standard. We 
must contemplate them now in heavenly glory and 
unite ourselves in spirit with them in all our religious 
exercises so that we shall actually begin now the life 
we hope to live in heaven. If we let our thoughts 
fly to this blessed abode and consider its rest and 
bliss every time we find our mind free, our desires 
will be strengthened and our hope confirmed, so 
that we will cheerfully sacrifice every earthly joy 
and pleasure for a larger share in the joys of Par¬ 
adise. 




EFFICIENCY REWARD 


191 


We shall also increase our capacity for enjoyment. 
We know that “in heaven there are many mansions,” 
and we shall contemplate the Divinity according to 
our capacity. We increase this in proportion to 
the efforts we make and the sufferings we endure 
for God’s greater glory. We can often arouse a 
bodily appetite through thought and imagination 
by bringing before our mind’s eye so vividly a de¬ 
licious dinner that we almost imagine the taste of 
our favorite dish; just so we can develop our ca¬ 
pacity to enjoy and appreciate our heavenly reward 
by the proper incentives. An advertiser or sales¬ 
man pictures or skillfully suggests the prospective 
customer enjoying the commodity he has to offer, 
all for the purpose of arousing and intensifying de¬ 
sire to possess until the prospective buyer can no 
longer resist and thereby he is induced to pay the 
price. 

We must be very persistent, and we can only 
become so by being persistent in little things in 
which we find persistence easy. If a person is in 
the habit of yielding to slight temptations his 
backbone will never be strong enough to support 
him in strong temptations and in the crisis of his 
life. If a saint were in your place he would find a 
way out of every difficulty, and he is just as human 
as you are but he is more efficient, more courageous, 




192 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


more persistent, more resourceful in the use of God’s 
grace. Now if some other soul could do it, then 
you can. 

Remember that while the ninety and nine weak 
souls are deciding that some thing is impossible, 
the hundredth one, by sheer persistence has accom¬ 
plished it, has died a saint and is now reaping eter¬ 
nal glory, is enjoying his efficiency reward. This 
thought should spur us on to increase our efforts a 
hundred-fold for we are looking forward not merely 
to a period of rest and peace as these business men 
look for a life of leisure as an efficiency reward, but 
to an eternity of rest and peace and bliss. We must 
dwell more and more upon the thought of the rap¬ 
tures of the saved, the peace that surpasseth all 
understanding, the society of the angels and saints, 
and the everlasting love of our Creator, Redeemer, 
and Sanctifier; upon the dwelling place of our souls 
in God’s infinite heart, reserved for each of us, that 
place which has been vacant from all eternity that 
we might fill it: “Come possess the kingdom pre¬ 
pared for you from the foundation of the world.’’ 
Will I leave my place empty and be an eternal dis¬ 
appointment to my God and Father? I may be 
called Home sooner than I expect. Am I ready to 
fill my place as a true child of that celestial House¬ 
hold? 






SUGGESTIONS 



















































































































- 






































SUGGESTIONS FOR EVERY DAY IN 
THE WEEK 


COMPILED AS A HELP TO PERSEVERE IN THE FERVOR 
OF A GOOD RETREAT 

SUNDAY 
A Day of Desires 

Under the protection of the most Holy Trinity. 

The end of the day is to renew my intention of 
attending to my last end; choose means that will 
conduct me to it; divert myself from all things that 
do not help me to it. 

Reflection. — I was created to praise, rever¬ 
ence, and serve God, and by so doing arrive at eter¬ 
nal salvation. All creatures must assist me in this 
purpose. “What will this avail for eternity?” 

Intentions. — Pope, prelates, clergy, propaga¬ 
tion of the Faith, gratitude for creation, redemption, 
and vocation; to beg grace to die to all things cre¬ 
ated and to use my talents and whole being in the 
service of my Heavenly Spouse. 


196 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


MONDAY 

A Day of Compunction and Fear 

Under the patronage of St. N-. 

The end of the day is to inquire into the causes 
of my sins and evil affections, to purpose amendment 
and to offer my soul, freed from human affections, 
to God. 

Reflections. — Sin is the only thing that can 
keep me from attaining my last end. “Remember 
thy last end and thou shalt never sin.” The effects 
of sin are all the sufferings of this life, death, pur¬ 
gatory, and hell. “The mercies of the Lord I shall 
sing forever.” 

Intentions. — Suffering souls, especially N. N. 
Grace of final perseverance and a happy death. 





SUGGESTIONS 


IQ 7 


TUESDAY 
A Day of Fervor 

Under the protection of the Holy Angels. 

The end of the day is to renew my resolution of 
following Christ, of imitating Him as faithfully as 
possible, — this being the foundation of all per¬ 
fection. 

Reflection. — “I am the Way, the Truth and 
the Life.” O, Jesus, grant that I may know Thee 
more intimately, love Thee more ardently, and 
serve Thee more faithfully. 

I am a consecrated Spouse of Jesus Christ and 
have the honor of the Church in my hands. 

What causes the blush of shame more quickly 
than to hear that one of Christ’s Spouses has proved 
unfaithful? 

Intentions. — Conversion of negligent Catho¬ 
lics, particularly N. N. Right knowledge and per¬ 
fect spirit of poverty, chastity and obedience. 




198 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


WEDNESDAY 
A Day of Devotion 
Under the patronage of St. Joseph. 

The end of the day is to understand the hidden 
life of Christ and to learn from Him to love to be 
forgotten and unknown. 

Reflection. — “Did you not know that I must 
be about my Father’s business?” Praise the work 
done by others but let not thy right hand know what 
thy left hand does. 

Intentions. — Parents, friends, benefactors; 
those for whom I promised to pray; temporal wants 
of the Institute; superiors, temporal and spiritual; 
for modesty, meekness, humility, and grace to sub¬ 
due my senses and imagination. Recall “The Two 
Standards.” 




SUGGESTIONS 


199 


THURSDAY 
A Day of Election 

Under the protection of the Sacred Heart. 

The end of the day is to find out the one thing 
that has kept me from serving God during the past 
week and the particular virtue of which I am most 
in need. 

Reflection. — What advice would you give to 
one who has implicit confidence in you and is now 
in your state of soul? Well, if you would advise 
others to adopt such a line of conduct, you must 
resolve upon the same yourself. 

If I am to be a companion of Christ, I must surely 
and without delay begin to do the work of Christ. 

Intentions. — Reparation for sacrilegious Com¬ 
munions; beg grace to confess my sins briefly, dis¬ 
tinctly, and contritely and to draw fruit from my 
Confessions and Holy Communions. Recall “Three 
Classes of Men” and “Three Degrees of Humility.” 




200 EFFICIENCY IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 


FRIDAY 
A Day of Strength 

Under the protection of Christ Crucified. 

The end of the day is to strengthen my soul 
against adversity by meditating on the Passion of 
Christ. 

Reflections. — The way of the cross is the only 
way of life and many tribulations are a sign of great 
coming grace. “Watch and pray that ye enter not 
into temptation.’’ “I am a worm and no man.” 
This is the effect of sin and my sins. 

Intentions. — Charity in the community; in¬ 
crease of membership; that all may be filled with 
zeal for the salvation of their own soul and those of 
others; grace of a pure intention. 




SUGGESTIONS 


201 


SATURDAY 
A Day of Love and Joy 
Under the protection of our Blessed Lady. 

The end of the day is to unite my heart with the 
Sacred Heart of Jesus in the bond of love; and 
despising creatures, at last to love God, our only 
Good and our only Happiness. 

Reflections. — Love is shown by action not by 
feeling. 

Spiritual joy is a great help to spiritual progress. 
Think of the great rewards promised to the faith¬ 
ful and loving soul. “Ye men of Galilee, why stand 
ye here looking up into heaven ?” Now is the time 
to work, suffer, and merit the reward of heaven as 
Christ did. No cross, no crown. 

“Know that the flame of the Everlasting Love 
Doth burn e f er It transform” 

NEWMAN 

Renew resolutions of retreat. Recite a fervent 
“Suscipe.” 

Intentions. — Priests, particularly my Confes¬ 
sors, and especially those who have asked my 
prayers; religious; the poor; virtues of charity, pa¬ 
tience, and confidence in God. 

















































































































































































































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